Cute Shoes

I saw the black, high-heel shoes in the store. So stylish. I tried them on--oh my goodness! They were way cute, way expensive, and way uncomfortable. Know what I did? I bought them anyway.

Cute wins out over cost and comfort any day, don't you agree?

Besides, my dear daughter-in-law said, " I think you should get them. They'll make you look taller."

Well, that's all I needed to hear. Because if you look taller, then you'll look smaller. Right? And everyone knows that thin is in.

Buying new shoes sounded like a good strategy to me.

I wore my way cute shoes to church the next day. I slipped them off before early service ended--my feet hurt already. I put them on during Sunday school since I teach a class. I took them off again as soon as I got into the car.

When I mentioned this little episode to my daughter-in-law, she said, "Oh, no problem. This is the kind of shoe that you have to break in."

Break in? Now, would that be like taming a wild horse? Looking back, I realize that I may have been more successful with a pair of horses than I was with these shoes.

Do you know how long it takes to "break in" a pair of two-inch, high arch, peek-a-boo-toe shoes by Liz?

A long time.

The shoes left red indentions on both feet, sometimes made my legs ache, and scraped the nail polish off of my big toe on my left foot. I'm serious.

But I had no intention of giving up on wearing those shoes. Because, remember, skinny is pretty; even if it's only an illusion.

And I so wanted to look pretty even if it hurt. Now, how crazy is that? Pretty crazy I'm thinking. And you are too, probably.

Imagine how silly I felt after studying these verses last week so that I could teach them on Sunday.

Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishble quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes ( 1 Peter 3: 3-4).

We're women. We want to look and to feel pretty. That's normal. Sometimes, though, we allow our culture to confuse us about the true definition of beauty.

According to today's culture we should strive to look like movie stars and super-skinny, super models.

However, God doesn't require these things. He defines beauty based on what we have in our heart. He looks for gentleness and sweetness and patience and love and compassion. These qualities are important to Him and make us beautiful in His eyes.

He doesn't place much value in our hairstyles, our clothes, or our jewelry.

But I still like to think that He smiles when we find a pair of way cute shoes!

It Takes More Than Two to Tango

I tried to tango with an antique radio cabinet; however, things did not turn out the way I had envisioned them. See, I was excited about getting this non-working antique. It was free, and free is always good when you're decorating on a budget. And I knew that a little white paint would transform the tired and ugly old thing into something worth having.

Nevertheless, the poor piece sat in my kitchen for about two years untouched.

Finally, last summer, inspiration and motivation hit me hard, and I knew what had to be done. I went to the laundry room in search of white spray paint. Great! Found three cans of the miracle-working potion. My mission was getting off to a successful start.

But because the seemingly, one-ton radio was still attached to the inside of the cabinet and because no one was at home to help me, I had to figure out how to move the monster by myself.

Did I hear a little voice inside me telling me not to proceed with this project and that probably I should wait for my darlin' hub to get home so that he could help me? Yes, I heard that voice, and yes, I ignored it. And puhpuhleeze, sweet girl, don't tell me that you would have listened.

You see, inspiration and motivation lead to creativity, and I just couldn't stop. Could I?

So, I took two pairs of socks and put one sock on each leg of the cabinet. Then I turned and twisted and tangoed, and I managed to slide the cabinet across the hardwood floors from the kitchen through the dining room right up to the French doors that open to the deck. Problem solved!

Right? Wrong.

By picking up one corner of the cabinet at a time, I did get it over the doorsill and onto the deck. But even with the socks, I couldn't move the cabinet across the rough planks. I took the socks off. Still stuck. Plus, I realized there was no way possible that I maneuver the piece down the steps and into the yard so that I could paint it.

But I had made it this far and was unwilling to admit defeat. I retrieved a drop cloth aka old sheet and spread it out on the deck.

Then I began to paint. Looking good so far. The sun went down. I wasn't finished so I turned on the porch light. Left the cabinet outside to dry overnight. The next morning, I walked outside to check my handiwork. Not bad. But as I picked up the sheet, I saw something horrifying.

An eerie, milky film covered part of the deck. I had ruined the beautiful deck that my darlin' hub had just a month before power washed and restained.

I felt so bad about what I did. Why didn't I wait for someone to help me? I dreaded telling him what I had done. I dreaded his response.

When he got home, I showed him the deck and explained what happened. I expected to hear him say What were you thinking? You know you shouldn't have attempted this project by yourself. I worked so hard on this deck and look at what you've done.

That's what I deserved to hear.

But that's not what he said. Instead, he looked at the deck. Then he looked at me, and he had the sweetest expression on his face. Kind. Compassionate. Forgiving.

He said, "It'll be all right until it's time to stain again." He took my hand, and we walked back into the house.

Now, my man is certainly not perfect, but to me he sure seemed to be close that evening. He chose kindness over harshness and forgiveness over anger.

And you know, He's never mentioned my mistake. He's never reminded me that it takes more than two to tango, especially if one of your partners is an antique radio cabinet.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).

Sweet dreams,

Deb

I Flunked Blogging 101

I flunked Blogging 101. You've probably figured that out since it's been forever since I last posted or visited any blogs.

Well, I'm not accustomed to getting F's, and I don't like to quit. And I'm tired of being an on again off again blogger. So last night, I decided to stop blogging altogether and just publish one final post to bring closure to my feeble attempts at writing.

And then this morning before I left for work, I read some verses from Psalm 52:

I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good (8b-9a).

Did you read the part about trusting in God's unfailing love--His really amazing love--that never disappoints us--never leaves us? Did you notice the part about hoping in His name--His good name--His sweet name?

I did.

And while I don't understand why writing is so hard for me right now, I'm not going to ditch this dream.

I'm going to hang on because I really do trust in His unfailing love. I have put my hope in His name. Savior. Prince of Peace. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Jesus. Giver of Dreams.