Fox Den Design By Alex Brown

 A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through the 'what is this and why is this here' stockpiles in my daughter's room. Finding underwear in toy baskets and long forgotten shirts shoved behind the toy barn in the closet made me shriek with horror and plan a trip to Ikea. I squeezed all I could from the dollar bin organization system over nine years and it was time to invest in a real dresser.

Sometimes a purchase for one thing will be an avenue for changing other things. We bought a cheap pinewood dresser that we could paint. Alex mentioned she was sick of the pink walls in her room and was ready for change. "Mom", she replied, "I'm not a little girl anymore, the pink has got to go." I had to admit I liked hearing her bold assertion of opinion. This was a milestone moment.  I said, "You're ready for a change, how about you design your room? With a little help from Mom and Dad we can make it the way you envision it." Her baby brown eyes perked up with excitement, "YES, that will be so fun!"

This project was perfect for learning- doing things well takes time. When I work on a creative idea, I can become impatient and want to push it through so I can see the final result, this usually ends in mistakes or downright disaster. I have had to learn to put the brakes on and sit on it for awhile or do due diligence in researching the proper execution so the final product will be worth all the effort involved.

Alex working on her Fox Den Design Project; The Fox Box
photo by: Chandra Brown

Alex was chomping at the bit to get going on her vision of the perfect room; The Fox Den, as she calls it. She wanted all dark brown walls with green rugs to represent grass. She wanted a mural of a forest scene and a fox painted on the walls. She knew what she wanted. She picked out countless color swatches and even researched murals on the internet.

I hadn't even put one word of advice on the docket and she was tearing it up on her own. I had a little moment of motherly pride watching her talk about pulling colors through a room, knowing that earth tones don't mix with pastel palettes.(I did hint at not making all the walls dark brown and guided her to the idea of an accent wall of dark brown.)

I was impressed at her resourcefulness. She found a $4 clearance paint at TreeHouse, that matched her color palette perfectly. She chose that for the dresser. She found the grass rug at Ikea for $20 and the two different wall paints at Lowes were $45.

Nathan putting together the dresser
photo by: Chandra Brown

We got to work on the room re-do. Alex painted a wood box we found on the sidewalk put out for large item pick-up. Mom painted the dresser and Dad got involved and helped put the dresser together. The next day Alex and I painted her room, she is a pretty good wall roller. As we painted over the pink, the walls had a green hue. UH OH, we thought we picked a medium tan, what was going on? We patiently kept painting. I told her sometimes a color will not be true until it dries. She looked a little worried, I secretly was too. We put the brushes up and called it a night, shut the door and turned on the fan to help air out the room, tomorrow would tell if the color was a bomb.

The next day we opened the door to tan walls. Phew! We made it over a design hurdle. We began putting the room together. We knew the existing bedspread would not work anymore and I remembered I had stored an heirloom quilt in a trunk. It was given to us by Nana Brown. It worked perfectly in her room. We just had to buy a new bed skirt, which we found for a steal at Target for $15. The room needed a little something else, a little detail was missing. A pop of color was needed to bring the room together, so we saw the perfect find at Target, the red pillow made the finishing touch for $25.

Alex's Fox Den Design
photo by: Chandra Brown

Alex and I looked back over the receipts for the room remodel, we spent $190. We high-fived at how well it all worked out. It took over 2 weeks from idea to fruition, we still have a bit more to do,we are still working on the mural, which will take more planning and time but thankfully we have an artist in the family that can help when the time allows.

This project was worth more than the $190 we invested in it. I will always remember the time I spent with my daughter, the view into her thinking and seeing her idea take shape because she planned and worked towards her goal. Seeing her enjoy her space and want to be in it speaks to the success of the project.

Chocolate Fox Box, The Green Dresser, Fox Figurines, Alex and I painted the Fox picture too!
photo by: Chandra Brown

Looking forward to the next one...

Burger And Fries with A Side of Fellowship

My husband, daughter and I grabbed a P-Terry's treat for lunch the other day. We ravenously ripped into our $2.45 burgers. When our stomach growlings' were satisfied we found a little time for some fun Bible discussion. Nathan mentioned how he was reading the book of Daniel and how the Old Testament can be a trippy read. He said, " It amazes me that men like Daniel stood against the societal, cultural and even legal laws of the land yet still rose to high positions within the community."  It is pretty interesting to see how God elevates a person through the world's system to be His enforcer, or example or a stop-gap.

Photo By: pointnshoot

Being a  hobby reader; an amateur literature buff, this topic was right up my alley. Any good story or epic novel has a hero who is characterized as being the underdog, the one who knows something the others don't yet prevails despite warnings of loss and may be riddled with weaknesses that should end his journey but become his saving grace.

This is why I love reading the real life accounts of the Bible. God used men, who knew and understood the important detail of a submissive, relationship with God, and were plagued with weakness; and only because of their dependence on God did they become a hero in God's service bringing all the glory to Him. How can anyone not get excited about that.

Take, for instance, the account of Gideon, Judges: 6,7. Even before Gideon is a hero, the Angel of the Lord calls him a Mighty Warrior. (6:12) Gideon's underdog quality shows up when he says, "How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."  Then Gideon does something bold even though it was in the dark, (a direct command from God) and destroys one of the World's icons of "untruth", the idol of Baal. This action really gets the world's attention and stirs up a hornet's nest. Gideon's weakness makes an entrance as he squirms and doubts and struggles with the task bestowed upon him, he asks for signs from God even to the point of begging God not to be angry with him for asking for the signs. God is gracious and grants Gideon his requests, a bit of a confidence builder,  he needs it because the next day God cuts his man power down to three hundred in a curiously odd fashion too, keeping those that were crazy enough for the task. God keeps the climax titillating as he encourages Gideon to sneak into the enemies camp at night and eavesdrop on a conversation. Gideon is grateful for the revealed secrets of the enemies and at the next watch, Gideon smashed jars and blew trumpets causing the enemy to panic, scatter and turn their swords on each other. The art of confusion took care of the Midianites and the victory was attributed to God.

How could any of this happen without talking to and knowing God? As you read other heroic accounts in the Bible, the theme appears, men having relationship with God and the realities born out from that!

The really neat thing is this still happens today! Although the heroes are rare, it is amazing to see God's unchanging ways in the people that follow Him. I am lucky enough to know a few heroes in the making. He's the author and finisher of our faith, and I hope my role will bring honor to Him. (Hebrews 12:2)

Before I end this little ditty, I want to always point to the Ultimate Hero, Jesus. He came into the world in underdog status, He was not weak but weakness (sin) was put upon Him. He was the ultimate example of how to walk and talk and live out God's will. He willingly went to the cross and died for you and me. And this is where is gets EPIC, He conquered sin and death and rose from the dead so you and I can have the means to enter into relationship with God, and that is not a fairytale but reality so glorious one's soul can only soar with the understanding of it!

Making A Meal

A while back I posted a blurb about relishing the idea that Jesus cooked breakfast for his disciples. I just loved that a simple pleasure was shared between God's Son and the disciples.

Recently, I made a meal for my family and ended up sharing it with two others unexpectedly. I was more than happy to share it, in fact, I was a little nervous to share it because it was a new recipe. Poor guinea pigs!

Funny how I sit here with tears rolling down my cheeks thinking about this shared meal, maybe I am nearing my time of the month, but tears over a meal goes deeper for me in this circumstance. I have an inkling it is God teaching me more about who He is, and I just can't help but cry at the softening process of my heart. (Glad I wasn't crying about burning the food, HA!)

The meal wasn't amazing, and I didn't even sit down to eat with those I shared. So why am I a  blubbering mess over this insignificant meal? Because I was able to understand a little more of what God wanted me to do for that day. The article, Perfecting Holiness by Ken Brown helped confirm the reason for this particular lesson with the Lord.

This simple meal wasn't world saving, it wasn't even something others will necessarily take notice of. It was a task meant to help me take on more Christlikeness, more opportunity for obedience which leads to the glorification of God.

This meal ended up being a lesson in compassion and kindness; His compassion and kindness. I may not know what another is going through but God does. I don't and still don't know what my two guests have gone through or are currently going through and maybe everything is just fine BUT that is all part of the lesson.  I don't need to know the why's, the reasons, the details, I just need to be obedient to what He tells me to do.

Sharing this simple meal helped me glimpse into the compassionate nature of God towards these two fellows. He loves them very much.

There may be a lot to this story that can't be understood by those that read it, but I felt compelled to write it down anyway.

This time, I am relishing the meal not for it's tasty contents but for the amazing glimpse into God's Nature and His overwhelming Compassion for people.

Just Fishin'



Lake Bastrop North Shore

Trace Adkins

Just Fishin'

Passion Flower

Ecclesiastes 3
Photo By Chandra Brown

Sometimes a rare, exotic beauty hidden from view pops out at you when you least expect it. This texturally complex specimen is growing in a neighbors front yard here in Texas. When I think of a passion flower, I think of far off, ethereal lands, not Texas.

I was admiring the delicate features when my neighbor plucked the flower off the vine and handed it to me. She said, "The buds only bloom for a day, so enjoy it while you can."

I never thought a fleeting blossom could teach me something about relationships but this small, hidden wonder along with my neighbors advice helped me come to a realization. When life becomes monotonous, boring or rigid and an opportunity to revitalize arises, even if it isn't one you think is your cup of tea, snatch up the opportunity! Killing the passion because you're not used to the change of scenery only leads to a wilted existence. You might be missing out on something beautiful!

Remembering on Memorial Day

I have been enjoying this Memorial Weekend Holiday in the great outdoors with my daughter hiking trails, fishing, swimming, crafting and watching Leave It to Beaver re-runs.  I had a little time to organize my filing system and came across a picture of my dear Grandpa Jack. He's sitting on a trike in his  Army uniform looking like he's ready for some adventure.

The picture got me thinking about the reason why we celebrate Memorial Day. It is so easy to plan outings and barbeque's and focus on fun without even giving second thought to what the Holiday represents, this can especially be easy to forget for the civilian population. Memorial Day is about those that died while in service to their nation; quite sobering when you begin to think about what that really means. Thankfully, my Grandfather didn't die in his service during World War II and I have wonderful memories of him that I enjoy sharing with other family members.

So many things flood my mind as I write about remembering the service men that gave the ultimate sacrifice. It makes the words, 'thank you' seem so cheap. I think the best way we can celebrate this historic National Holiday is to talk and listen. What an honor to be able to listen to the stories of those that gave the ultimate price. Somehow the story is what keeps the sacrifice real. Maybe this is one reason why I love World War II history (besides letting a little of my Dad's passion rub off on me). I know we don't necessarily have the opportunity to discuss intimate details of life and death one on one with families that have experienced the loss of their son or daughter, so I suggest the next closest thing; pick up a Historical Biography of one of your favorite era's ( recent and ancient history are fraught with examples) and read the amazing true stories of real people fighting for freedom.

If you don't know where to begin, I have some suggestions for you...
1. Unbroken, by Laura Hillibrand
    World War II Airforce.

2. Fly Boys: A True Story of Courage, by James Bradley
     Covers the Pacific Theatre in World War II.

3. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and The Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10, by Marcus Lutrell
    Afghanistan Theatre

Since the picture of my Grandpa in uniform inspired this post, I'd like to remember him by keeping the 'story' flame alive. I'm going to share a memory of my late Grandpa Jack, although not related to his service this story does give a picture of a man full of vibrant independence; or maybe better labeled, a rebellious streak.

I was eight years old and was fond of riding in my grandparents car when our large extended family caravaned from one place to another. This particular ride was on a Sunday. We were let out of church services and were heading down Wadsworth Boulevard in Grandpa Jack's sparkly, emerald green Buick with matching green fabric interior.

I was nestled in between Grandma El's yellow, damask back pillow and some Bibles on the seat meant for me to hold so they wouldn't fly all over the backseat. In these days, wearing a seat belt was pretty much optional, although buckle up billboards were cropping up everywhere. We lived by the seat of our pants in those days and none of us payed attention to the life saving warning.

Now Grandpa Jack was also known as Lead Foot Jack by friends and family. Speed limit signs were only suggestions, and even a red light or two fell under that category. We all agreed after careful consensus that he must have Angel's specifically posted on his bumpers because with his carefree, "what is this rear view mirror for" driving style and no incidents, that was the only logical conclusion one could come to.

We were probably clipping a good 55 down a 40 mile per hour lane when the sirens of a police car blared in our ears. Jack kept going through the intersection of Alameda and Wadsworth without slowing. I said, "Grandpa, don't you hear the police siren? I think you better pull over."

He retorted, " AA!" with a wave of his hand. Only when El piped in with a June Cleaver calm demeanor did Jack slow down and pull over.

The protocol commenced and the police officer in professional fashion asked, " Did you know how fast you were going, and may I see your license and registration?" My grandpa handed the paperwork over and watched silently as the officer went back to his car to log his information down.

The officer closed his car door and that's when my Grandpa turned his car on and took off like a bat out of hell, in disbelief I scolded," Grandpa, he has your license, you can't do that, it's breaking the law."

He retorted with his signature, "AA", and hand swipe.

I think Grandpa may have run a red light to make it to his hideout, but I'll never know because I had my head hidden under Grandma's back pillow the rest of the way home.

If you have any stories to share about your family whether they served or not, I'd love to 'hear' them.



 

Grandpa Jack Koch, Armed Forces, World War II, stationed in Hawaii

"History is nothing but a series of stories, whether it be world history or family history."
Bill Mooney and David Holt, The Storyteller’s Guide.

The Vine Impostor

Photo from Everystock Photo

I love my backyard, it is a little oasis for my family. We love sitting with our morning coffee while listening to the birds or sipping a glass of wine on the deck in the evening putting our feet up to relax. Our property backs up to a natural gas pipeline and all sorts of vegetation grows outside of the fence line. Much of our time working in the yard is combating the creeping weeds that wants to sneak in but this is a story of how we let one impostor take residence.

When we first moved in I surveyed the area and was pleased to see two grapevines growing against two fence posts. I wondered what variety they were as they were not listed on the detailed list of vegetation the previous owner took effort in providing us.

I watched as the ornamental peach burst forth with flowers, the crape myrtles bloomed and the jasmine scent wafted through the air. I was astounded at the fast growth of the grapevine and let it take over some of the fence line to support the expected  abundance of grapes, even to the point it began to inter mesh with the trumpet vine, but I wanted to yield as much fruit as I could so I let it grow.

The season for harvesting grapes came and went and I went out to the fence, put my hand on my hip and with disappointment started cutting back the vines. I thought, "maybe the previous owner didn't properly prune them last year," and that was the cause for not one single cluster of grapes. I got them to a manageable point and thought, "next year will be the year."

Next year came and again no fruit was to be found. That's when I had it and just cut the vines all the way to the ground, yanking and pulling the tendrils and leaves into a huge pile for the trash bin. I thought, "what useless grapevines."

I decided to take the dog on a walk down the pipeline one day and noticed many other fences had these same grapevines and even a few trees and scrub bushes had them too. That's when I finally realized these vines were impersonators. In reality they were a weed and people here in Texas call them wild grapes. I found that deceivingly odd, since they don't even have wild fruit, just the look of the real leaves and vine. I did some head slapping and guffawing at my failure to notice the counterfeit.

Today, as I was tending to these impersonators I found myself talking to God about how false religions acts in the same manner or another way of looking at it; how anything outside of His will and character acts in the same manner.

How beautiful the impostor looks, how enchanting to the senses it feels, how wonderful the perception of what you'll gain. It strokes emotion, it has elements of the real deal, you tend it, you let it grow because of the expectations you put on it. The end result is one overgrown mess that chokes out anything healthy and real trying to grow up around it. The crushing blow is it bears no fruit, leaving you empty handed, hungry and obviously not satisfied.

The tragedy lies in the impostors blinding deception, it becomes a circular habit; as most don't tear down the impostor but tend to it futilly year after year hoping to squeeze blood from a turnip. (ha, just had to use that one) The blinders don't allow for the real vine with abundant fruit to be experienced.

And this is where the beauty of Jesus shines on the situation. How can we know the real from the impostor? How can we be free from the reaching tendrils of deception? It is through God's Son and submission to Him.

How could I not end this post with John 15...Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener..."