Decorating on a Budget

I was talking to my friend, Karen, this last week when she got her hair done.  And I was telling her how being creative has been so refreshing to me in the last year.  I love having craft days, or nights, where I just create things that can be used around the home.  And what is even better yet, anybody who knows me well, knows I always love the challenge of doing something on a budget. 

So here are some pictures of things I have done recently.....

Chalkboard Clipboard & Magnets

(The clipboard idea was from my friend Echo...super easy...clipboard, chalkboard paint, magnets for the back! And magnets I made with buttons and the the leftover magnets from the clipboard.) :)

Placemats

(I made these placemats fro my Dad for Father's Day. However, I may make him some different ones that are more Father's Day-ish cause they didn't turn out as manly as I was hoping.) :)

Sign for my Kitchen

(Okay, so I made this forever ago.  But I was kinda hesitant to post it.  You see, my friend Cammie makes the most amazing signs EVER and this seriously looks like it is an under $10 sign compared to her really good ones. But when I found a board for a few bucks, I totally copied her idea.  But it will obviously most likely be my last one.  Figured I should post it anyways. haha!  In other words, if you want a sign, contact Cammie!) :)



This week I am on to bigger things...I am going to attempt to refinish some furniture.  My friend, Crystal, is coming over.  And we are going to tackle a desk that my friend Jo gave me, and a chair that my friend Heather gave me.  Free furniture...borrowing an electric sander from my friend Carolyn....my hope is the cost will be the cost of paint!  Which my friend Jana helped me pick out some colors...hahah...this is a group endevour! :)  Can't wait....pics to come...IF it turns out!! :)

Reflections from the Mirror

Being a hairstylist, I have worked in front of a mirror every single day for almost a decade.  At first I didn't mind it.  When I would look in the mirror, throughout the day I would just touch up my make-up and fix my hair when I would see something that had to be fixed, no big deal.  Then, as time went on, I started resenting the mirror, because the more you look at it, the more you realize all that needs to be changed!  And then, I have found recently that sometimes it just feels like too much work to keep up with all the changes that need to happen, when I am tired and exhausted after years of trying to look perfect all the time.  I have found recently that many days, although I look in the mirror many times during the day, I just don't pay too much attention to myself and move on with my daily tasks.

My fear is that this will be true of my life spiritually, as I read God's Word.

James 1:22-25 "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides in it, not having become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does."

So many thoughts go through my mind what I read this passage this morning.

What is the purpose of a mirror?  You look at it and you see what is okay, and what needs to be changed.  Sometimes it tells me that I need to backcomb my hair more cause it is flat.  Sometimes I have something in my teeth and it tells me I need to get it out.  Sometimes I see dark circles under my eyes and the mirror helps me recognize I need more sleep.  Other times I feel rested and look refreshed and it shows me I am at rest in life.

But what if we didn't let the mirror do what it is made to do, as I have found myself doing recently?  My question would be, "Why even have a mirror?" 

It is not enough to own a Bible, or even self-deceive ourselves with learning it intellectually, if we don't approach it with a desire to let it penetrate our lives and change us to be more like God.   In fact, if we approach it without having a desire to hear and obey God, we get discouraged and frustrated.  Just like if you simply own a mirror, you just get frustrated looking into it if all you do is see what it says and do nothing about it.

I made another observation when I read this passage in the New American Standard Bible version.  It speaks of looking at your "natural face" in the mirror.  That is why I like this version the best when I read this passage.  I will tell you what...I would so much rather look into the mirror when I have my make-up on than when I have no make-up on and I just woke up!  I think too often, we learn to make ourselves up spiritually.  We learn how to put on our "spiritual mascara" and "spiritual concealer" to make our natural face look better.  But what is underneath is actually pretty unattractive.  When we look into Scripture, it really has the ability to speak to us, where we really are without our "cover-ups"...and it is when we hear what it says, and do what it says, that we are changed.  Otherwise, we just pretend we look good.  I think most of us have become good at looking like we are okay, but in reality we aren't as good as it looks on the surface.

Lastly, I love the end of the verse that says "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does."  This may not sound popular to many people, but it has been pressed on my heart many times this year as I have spoke with many people.  People too often want the blessings of God, without the sacrifice of obedience.  They want to live life however they want and put a cross on top and call it Christian.  Not how it works.  If we want the blessings of God, we really need to approach His Word, let it penetrate our hearts, listen to what God has to say, and do what God's Spirit in us helps us to do. 

All to say, I was challenged this morning as I read.  And I pray that it doesn't end with me just having these spiritual thoughts and then going on with my life.  I pray that today, and the days ahead, that I focus on what the Word tells me and that I obey it.  I pray that I won't approach Scripture the way I have slowly come to approach my mirror at the salon....I pray I won't become callused to it and that I will always quickly respond in obedience so I can become more beautiful in Jesus' eyes.

Decisions

I just revisited an old article I wrote for Groundswell (a women's Christian online magazine).  I know I have used this article many places, but thought I would post it once again.   :) P.S. Some details are changed to protect confidentiality. :)

DECISIONS

I just got back from my nightly run, where I usually let my mind just go and think. But tonight's thought: “I want to just stop. I am so tired. I just want to walk. Oh, I am so exhausted...” Then it hit me. All my emotions were telling my brain to stop running. I was literally telling myself that I so desperately wanted to stop doing what I set out to do. But, despite my own emotions pleading with my brain, my brain kept going and my body kept doing the thing that I deep down knew was right. I was thinking two completely contradictory things at the exact same time. Yet my body still did what I truly needed to do. This made me think about how I wish that it were that easy with all decisions of life. So often my emotions tell me one thing so strongly, but I know that it isn't truly right. It is then that I have to decide. How am I going to make my decision?

I have found in my conversations, with my friends at the salon, that we can choose to make decisions in two ways. One, by our emotions. Two, by truth.

One of my most tender and sensitive clients came to get her hair done the other day. At first glance she had a smile on her face, but the moment she sat in my chair, and I asked her how she was, the tears started streaming down her cheeks. My heart broke for her as I handed her tissue and she shared with me a little glimpse of what had been taking place in her life since her last visit. As she spoke, my mind flashed back to that previous conversation where she told me about a man who she had recently met. To spare you unnecessary details, I will simply say that this man's lifestyle and approach to her were warning signs that he was bad news. I had tried to warn her that even one date could lead her down a slippery slope. She responded to me by saying that all she was hoping from him was to have a nice, casual dinner companion and that going to one dinner didn't mean that she would fall in love with him. I was concerned for my friend because what I was hearing her say, although her words said otherwise, was that she was sad and lonely and desired to be loved. She was excited to get her hair done so she would look lovely for this man. She was dreaming of what they would share and talk about. I was scared for her, that she would be let down by yet another man in her life, who had not proven himself honorable. In fact, there were red flags everywhere. When she left the salon that day I hoped that she would listen to the counsel I gave her, and that she would not run away with her emotions. I hoped that she would remember how we talked about what God desired for her life and that this man would only draw her away from that focus and purpose. Sadly, she went to dinner, which turned into another date, and so on. And so that same friend came in once again this last week, more heartbroken then before and ashamed of things she had done, a result of making a decision based on emotion versus the truth she knew deep down.

I remember explaining to her that our life consists of decisions. One decision leads to another decision, which leads to another decision, and so on. There are times that these two go hand-in-hand. But there are many times they do not. When that is the case, we can either make our decisions based on emotions, or we can make our decisions based on truth.

Emotions are an incredible gift that God has given us to experience things deeply. They make life full and colorful in so many ways, allowing us to truly experience life and relationship. But they are not always dependable or stable. The problem comes when we make decisions based only on them, even when that means contradicting God's truth. You see, emotions change constantly. They can sway us from one extreme to an entirely contradictory extreme within moments. I know from my own experience that I can feel a sense of excitement and anticipation, only to have one thought come to my mind that suddenly makes me fearful. I can experience grief and anger over an argument with a loved one. Yet, if that person were to walk into a room with tears in their eyes, I can quickly forget that I am mad at all and feel a sense of compassion toward them. Or, I can experience loneliness and all it would take is a call from a friend to shift my emotions.

Truth, however, is stable. Truth is always truth. So where does one find truth, and a firm basis to make decisions? Jesus said, “I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life.” (John 14:6) We must take what we experience in life and hold it up against what Scripture says. Scripture holds the truth we need to base our life, and our decisions on. Because “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man [or woman] of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

In speaking with so many women over the years I have found a pattern. We can either make a decision based on emotions and truth follows, or we can make a decision based on truth and emotions follow. For instance, as my client made the decision to go to dinner, based on her emotions and her longings to be admired, truth surfaced. We see this in hindsight because we were later able to see that if she would have asked God what He wanted, she would have been protected from the heartache I saw on her face recently. She would not have fallen into more sin and, in turn, suffered the pain that comes from that. If she would have followed God's Word first, the emotions would have followed. It would have been later that she would possibly see more clearly and become thankful for God's love and protection.

Emotions are both beautiful and powerful. God gave us emotions because we are made in His image and He Himself experiences emotions. I pray that we may be able to hide God's Word in our hearts and know it deeply so that we can discern what is truth. I pray that we are quick to listen to Him and not just our emotions, so that we make the correct decisions in life. I pray that we are able to experience life and the emotions God gave us to their fullest by knowing, loving, and obeying Him Who truly is Truth. And I pray that when it comes down to the moment of making a decision, when everything in us want to run away with our emotions, that we will continue doing what we know in our hearts God wants of us. I pray that we are found faithful.

A Birthday In The Sunshine

You know you are old when.....

Your husband asks you if you want to go out of town for your birthday, and the most amazing thing you could think of is just staying home, relax, and save money!!!!

And that is what we did.  And it was amazing. :)

But I have to say that Caleb did spoil me!  He made me coffee in bed (which actually he does everyday), he made me the most amazing cajun chicken lunch and got us dessert, we played Nertz out in the sun, watched "Oklahoma," and read a chapter from the book we are reading together right now.

He did bring home a grill for me as well....which really is the gift that keeps on giving because it means he is going to cook for me more regularly!  That is the best part about it! :)

I am so blessed, and I absolutely know it.  So tonight, as I start a new year of my life, I will lay my head on my pillow thankful...and relaxed, because it has been such a great day. 

Jilleney Beaney

I love my sister, Jillene.  My nickname for her is "Jilleney Beaney."  (My other sister, Janelle's, nickname is "Janelley Belly.")  Jillene thought it was funny for a long time...until I started going to the same college as her.  And then, before you knew it, multiple people were calling her by that nickname as well.  It definitely caught on.  I would be walking down the hallways with her, and somebody would shout out, "Jilleney Beaney!" and I would just laugh so hard.  And she would look at me and smile as she rolled her eyes.  Anybody that knows her well, know the look/smirk I am describing.  :)

Considering she lives in the Bahamas, I don't get to see her too often.  So our sister time that we had yesterday was much overdue.  She just got to spend a ton of time talking, catching up, laughing, meeting Dad for lunch, shopping, crying, cooking, eating dinner and playing cards with Caleb.  I am desperately trying to convince her to move back.  It looks like I will have to wait for at least another year...so until then I just pray she decides to make the move. :)

Either that...or if anybody knows of any great, godly men who are single, I am now accepting applications to date her! :)  I am determined to get her here somehow!!!! Love you Jilleney Beaney!!! :)

Our Very Own (Self-Written) Love Song/Poem :)

Last night I was working on stuff, as Caleb played his guitar.  And we came up with the brilliant idea of writing our very own song of how we met and got married!  (Although, there isn't a chorus...so it is more like a poem.)  It ended up being really funny and so here it is! haha!  Side note:  Every time a line changes, it switches from my view to his view, etc.  :)

The Barnes' Ballad :)



While on Facebook, one autumn night,

A super hot guy caught my sight.

She stalked me for the rest of the night,

And when she saw me the next day, it was love at first sight!

Hiking, chess, movies, and food,

He was quite endearing as he tried to be smooth.

Eating, cuddling, and watching TV,

She just couldn't get enough of me!

I'd try to leave early, but she kept me late,

She fed me well, and I gained weight.

I told him that he ought to move slow,

Or I'd freak out and tell him "no."

I waited two days til I told her she's the one.

Another month later and she was done.

He was so confident and told me to pray,

And a few weeks later was our engagement day!

It was cold outside as he got on one knee.

I jumped up and screamed, my heart filled with glee!

I took her back home to pop the question,

Got a big 'ole "Yes!" without hesitation.

Could've been the fire, could've been the song,

Whatever I did, it couldn't go wrong.

Our engagement was quick and I was just spent.

I ended up with mono and to bed I went.

But only for a couple of days,

I had no time before I was on my way.

Off to Hawaii, I got on the plane.

Leaving Caleb behind, who was also in pain.

I jacked up my neck, trying to get strong.

But I followed her to Hawaii, singing a song.

With a brace on my neck, and a smile on my face,

I met her there in that special place.

Sand in our toes, wind in our hair,

If anything went wrong, I didn't really care.

Cause it was a beautiful morning when we said, "I do."

He looked so handsome as he said, "I'll always love you."

God's creation was beautiful, land, sky, and sea.

But most beautiful of all was my bride-to-be.

Julie was gorgeous that day, as I looked at her.

And since then it has been happily-ever-after!

Our 15 Month Anniversary (aka 4th of July 2011)!

This last weekend was such a relaxing, great time.  It seemed like this year everybody went all out for the 4th...after all, it was an amazingly beautiful sunny weekend here in Portland, and everybody had a three days off work.  But for us, nothing could have been better than what we did...chill and relax and enjoy good company...as we celebrated our 15 month anniversary on the 4th!

In a way it started Thursday night, when Caleb and I went over to Eric and Roxy Ericsson's home.  Although they had met Caleb briefly last summer, this was the first time they all got to truly sit around and get to know each other.  It was sooo fun!  And after we left their house, Caleb has talked numerous times about the idea of maybe one day being missionaries in Mexico as well.  After all, he loves the Latin culture and has been learning Spanish.  They gave him a New Testament in Spanish, and since then he has been reading through it out loud everyday.  When he gets to a word that he doesn't know, he looks it up and puts it on a flashcard to practice.  He figures it is a good way to learn while reading through the book of Matthew, and by the time he gets to John, he hopes it is much easier!  Good idea, I would say!  All to say, we were very encouraged by them and inspired.  We talked about how we want to be like Eric and Roxy one day.  And what a compliment Caleb gave me to say that he thinks that Roxy and I are so much alike already!  I always thought we were kindred spirits, but to hear him say it made me smile! :)

Saturday morning we slept in a little and then headed over to the Lake Oswego farmer's market.  I love going to farmer's markets, especially that one!!  Caleb's knee was acting up a little bit so we didn't stay long.  But it was so relaxing to just walk around, see the vendors, and smells the produce and flowers, while holding hands.  :)

Later in the weekend, we would also go over to BBQ with Greg and Stephanie Williams.  We just love those two!  It was fun to go back to their house and think that two years ago she and I were roommates, praying to find our true loves.  And now they are here and we are all friends! 

Sunday we had a potluck at church.  Kirk Grover gave the message on God's love enduring forever.  It was such a great message!  And it was fun to see Caleb open up the meeting and share just a little bit at the start of the service.  Caleb has been growing in his walk with God so much, and it was fun to see him step out of his comfort zone a little.  :)

And finally we got to the 4th...our 15 month anniversary!  Caleb spent the morning reading and studying.  I was busy cleaning, with the windows open and the music on.  And come lunchtime, I made us a backyard picnic.  It was one of my favorite times with my husband I have ever had.  It was simply peaceful and simple.  And after we had lunch, we ate rhubarb strawberry cobbler with coconut sorbet (all gluten and dairy free!) and played scrabble in the sun.  I could not have asked for a more perfect time!

All to say, we didn't go out and do tons of stuff this last weekend...but, wow, we made some amazing memories.  This 4th of July is definitely one of my most favorites that I have ever had...