Ta-Da!

Here are before and after pictures of my new (old) dining table. The project is nearly complete. There are a few touch-ups to be done, but it has already been put to use several times. I love it! I think I may have found a new hobby: hunting for really old pieces of furniture and refinishing them to make them look prettier! Hopefully there will be more of these opportunities in the future. But let me tell you, I am no expert. However, I do have FRIENDS who are! And I take advantage! =) Seriously, I have had a few "consultants" who have walked me through the steps and let me borrow tools and have graciously lent a helping hand when needed, and I am so appreciative. Joel is just hoping that the new table motivates me to cook more!

Here's what it looked like when I got it:


And the finished product:



So fun! I feel really blessed.

Well, we had planned a day of swimming with a friend in Lindale, but her son has a skin rash that might possibly be contagious. So those plans, sadly, got canceled this morning. We didn't want to take any chances. But I think Jonah and I are about to head off to the pool for a while, because I had already gotten my hopes up for a TAN today! I'm going to drop him off for a nap at my mom's house while I head back to the pool this afternoon. I'm excited to have some time alone to sit in the sun and read, journal, and really pray through some things. I'm seeking God's heart on some ministry opportunities that have come my way lately. I only want to do what He wants me to right now, and it's so hard not to say yes to all of them, because they all sound fun. But I want to guard against getting over-committed, and I want to make sure I have the time to stay at home enough with my son to really focus on some character training during this really important stage of his development. But my mom and I have recently agreed to coordinate the women's Bible studies at our church. I'm SO excited about the task, but I know God will just have to do it through us, and it won't be about us, that's for sure, because it is a big job. A little overwhelming even. I've never been in a church where there are so many women's Bible studies offered. They offer about 8-10 in the fall and spring semesters and usually half of that in the summertime. It's amazing to be in a place where there are so many gifted Bible teachers and women who are interested and passionate about being in the classes and studying God's Word. It really is incredible. But all that to say, things have to be organized way in advance. We just met this week about what our role will be, and we have a mere two weeks to coordinate EVERYTHING for the fall studies....figure out studies, find teachers, set up schedules, purchase studies, etc. It will be a busy two weeks! I plan on leading a study in the fall....Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. If you've ever read or taken that one, feel free to comment on anything you learned or gained insight on. I'd love to know! Those things I know I'm going to be doing, and I'm so excited about those ministries. They are my passion! But I'm also prayerfully considering some other things too....the big one being a return to MOPS next year as a discussion group leader. I'm excited about the thought of having a group of moms that I can relationally invest in, in a more organized way. But I've also loved doing that with any moms I come into contact with, through playdates, playgroups, coffee dates, etc., and I know that MOPS would limit me from being able to devote as much time to those relationships and get-togethers. I'm just dying to know what God wants me to do! So hopefully today, He and I can sit and chat about it and I can hear from Him. And maybe He will be gracious enough to let me get a good tan too! =)