Every girl needs her own space right? I have always wanted to have a dressing area in my bedroom with ample space for me to do my hair, apply my makeup, and paint my nails.

My former vanity was the one my mother had as a teen. Though I love that vanity, it was small and becoming overcrowded with all my girly gadgets. I started looking for a larger replacement vanity, but couldn’t find one in the color and size I wanted. In addition, the few I had considered settling for (in desperation!) cost much more than my budget allowed.

What’s a girly girl to do when faced with such a dilemma? Bring her concerns to her loving husband of course! After talking to JT about what I wanted, he agreed that it would probably be next to impossible for me to find a vanity in the size, color, and price range I desired. To solve my problem, he offered to build a simple vanity shelf for me.

At first I wasn’t sure a vanity shelf would look right, but JT assured me that it would. He patiently strolled through Lowes with me while I found the perfect piece of wood. After the wood was cut, he stained it for me, and anchored it to the wall. The result? The spacious, attractive (and inexpensive!) vanity I had dreamed about for so many months!

Once the shelf was up, I was ready to spruce up the area. At the local Goodwill store, I was able to find a few heavy, textured, decorative candy dishes to use as makeup brush and utensil holders. While there, I also discovered a huge, custom-made, cushioned bench that fits under the vanity shelf perfectly. This beauty was a real steal at less than $15!

Now that my vanity is in place, getting ready each day is much easier. All my girly gadgets are in one place and I’ve got room for them all. The area is well lit and spacious. For me, this vanity sure beats trying to beautify in the bathroom under the wrong type of light! For JT, it means my girly glory isn’t spread all over our bathroom.

This simple little creation works well for both of us!

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (Romans 7:18-19)

Ever since Adam and Eve nibbled on forbidden fruit, we have been battling sin. Even after we admit our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our personal war against sin yet rages on. Paul notes that though we want to do the right thing, our sinful, human nature can make it difficult for us to do so.

None of us are exempt from losing control and misbehaving. Just last night, I snapped, made a poor choice, and was later left asking myself, “Why, oh why, did I do that?”

I was having difficulties uploading some information to my blog so I sought help from JT. In the process of fixing one problem another problem was created when I was accidentally locked out of my blog’s administrative panel for a while.

According to JT, what followed was “quite the shootout” as my anger met his stubbornness head on! Was it my intention to blow up at JT? Was it his intention to take a stubborn stance? Certainly not, but we both succumbed to sin and ended up doing things we ought not and did not want to do.

Last night, JT and I were both reminded that the battle against sin is ongoing. Sin is an annoying parasite that latches onto us, irritates us, bites us, and infects us. Thankfully, our Savior Jesus Christ is the soothing salve for our sinful short comings! We can’t rely on our own strength as we wage this war against sin. We know what we want to do, but God knows what we ought to do. It is only in His power that we are able to act in a manner that glorifies our Heavenly Father. Thank God we can lean on Him and not wage this war against sin alone!

Photo: Courtesy of PauloElias (Flickr)

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! (Ephesians 4:9-10)

Today JT and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary! During today’s service, the church recognized August wedding anniversaries and presented all couples with roses as the congregation sang an anniversary song. (I so love stuff like that!)

Six years and two children later, JT and I are still dedicated to each other and our marriage remains a top priority. Over the past six years, God has used our marriage to draw us closer to Him and to further develop the fruit of the Spirit within us. Daily God is teaching us both about the importance of doing things His way.

Though we didn’t celebrate privately today, JT and I did enjoy a great Sunday with our girls. We hope to have a belated celebration later this week. Thanks to the generosity of some close friends, JT and I will be enjoying a cozy dinner at a restaurant we’ve been eyeing for a while. (Won’t you join us in praying that the babysitter is free some evening this week?) In the meantime, we’re looking forward to many, many more happy years together!

As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man. (Proverbs 27:19)

American author Clarence Budington Kelland is quoted as saying, “My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” As I read this quote, I immediately thought of my husband. JT models a life of great integrity for the girls and me. Each day as he goes about his daily routine, JT’s actions constantly exemplify the fruit of the spirit.

JT doesn’t lecture the girls about how to love others; he simply showers his children with an unselfish, self-sacrificing love they are eager to share with others. JT doesn’t prattle on about the importance of patience; instead he enthusiastically reads the girls’ favorite stories over and over and never complains about doing so. JT doesn’t speak volumes about kindness; he merely offers a pleasant disposition and a readiness to help others. JT doesn’t craft lessons about faithfulness; instead he honors his wedding vows and his promise to God by remaining faithful to his wife. This is the life JT leads, the life his children carefully watch.

Because JT is such a hardworking father, I wanted him to give him a Father’s Day gift that would allow him to relax. This Father’s Day I surprised JT with lawn service from now until September. This means my honey will not have to battle allergies as he mows the lawn each week. Instead, he can sit back and relax while someone else does the work for him. JT really appreciated this gift.

Photo: Courtesy of kyclark

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart (Jeremiah 1:5a)

Yesterday was JT’s birthday, so we celebrated with a date night dinner. We put the children to bed, left them with the babysitter, and enjoyed dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants.

I am so very thankful that God has allowed my husband to enjoy another birthday! He is a great man, one who has been a wonderful friend to me and a dynamic father to our children.

Happy Birthday Baby! The girls and I love you very, very, very much!

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

This past weekend, JT and I were doing some yardwork. (Actually JT was doing most of the work but I did check in with an occasional word of encouragement and a beverage.) At one point, the girls and I stepped out of the house to see how he was doing. JT was busy hedging along the side of the house. After checking in with him, we turned to go back into the house but before I could get in the door, the hedger fell silent and I heard JT say, “Aww, no!”

I zipped back around to the side of the house to see what was wrong. JT simply said, “Could you please go into the house and see if the phone is working?” I went in, checked the telephone, and found there was no signal. Call me clueless, but I still didn’t realize why JT was asking me to check the phone until I got back outside. I told him the phone wasn’t working and he said, “I didn’t think it would. I accidentally cut the phone line.”

Though my temper sometimes flares, I didn’t get upset or angry with JT. I knew he was already annoyed with himself and I didn’t want to make him feel worse. Besides that, it would have been so wrong of me to criticize him! After all, JT has stood silently and hugged me lovingly as I told him how I’d broken off the car’s side view mirror (more than once!) while pulling into the garage. JT never uttered one word of condemnation when I shattered the window of the new minivan with the stroller that had slipped from my hands as I unhooked it from the ceiling of the garage.

After placing a service call to the telephone company, I thought about how I had responded to JT’s mistake and was proud of the way I’d handled the situation. I didn’t fly off the handle and exacerbate the situation with angry words. I didn’t belittle my husband by offering sarcastic remarks.

Sometimes my temper flares and I handle situations improperly. Over the past several months, I’ve been praying that God would help me use the fruits of the spirit to guide my actions. God has seen my weaknesses and has been answering that prayer. In Ephesians 4:32, we are reminded to be kind, loving, and forgiving in our interactions with one another.

What a shame it would been for me to sever communication with my husband while I seethed about a telephone line he had accidentally cut! Telephone lines can quickly and easily be repaired, but the real lines of communication often take much longer to restore, especially after they’ve been damaged by thoughtless behavior and unkind words. I pray we all will let the words of Ephesians 4:32 guide our interactions with others!

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; He feedeth his flock among the lilies (Song of Solomon 6:3)

A week and a half ago, JT returned from work visibly upset. I was immediately concerned because it is rare for my husband to show such emotion. When I asked him what was wrong, he looked at me sadly and said, “I lost my wedding ring.” I wasn’t angry because the loss was obviously accidental and because JT looked so sad. In addition, I knew he felt guilty about losing the ring and I didn’t want to make him feel worse. Earlier in the month, JT had mentioned that the band was fitting more loosely and said he planned to have it resized. Unfortunately, the band slipped off his finger before he could do so.

I had no worries as this was a great reason to make a trip to the mall and shop! We packed up the kids and rolled into the mall to see about getting a new band for JT. Two factors made finding a new wedding band a bit more challenging. First, JT wears a ½ size which many jewelers do not have readily available. Second, the price of gold has skyrocketed and consequently so has the cost of gold jewelry. After trying on several different bands made of various metals and going into sticker shock several times, JT returned home empty handed (literally!).

The next day, JT went online and ordered a wedding band made of tungsten. The choice of tungsten surprised me because prior to our shopping trip, the last time I had heard the word tungsten I was sitting in a high school chemistry class studying the Periodic Table of the Elements. It turns out that tungsten is an attractive metal that is hard, heavy, durable (perfect for men!), and tarnish resistant. JT’s new ring is distinctive, looks great, and fits well. May he wear it in good health!