Lots of things happening around here.
We are making progress on the tiny home!! Here, enjoy some pictures:
I got some new things this week. My own set of headphones and a speed square!
We've done a ton of work on the walls while they're laying on top of the trailer because we're limited on space.
We use an enclosed trailer we have to carry wood and supplies. This week, instead of carrying huge pieces of plywood 100 yards, we decided to cut them in the trailer. At night. In the dark.
...it worked.
The house! Still some outer sheathing to finish, but all the walls are up.
Again, from the inside. I took this picture standing in the little space at the front of the house where a bench/desk will be. So you're seeing from the very front of the house to the very back.
So all of our walls are up!! It's hard to get a full picture of the house from inside the shop, but trust me, they're all up.
Recently, we realized that we measured the door to the shop incorrectly (womp womp), so we'll have to move the house outside and finish building outdoors. Not the biggest mistake ever, but I'm a little sad to give up the shelter of the shop.
We've been a lot better lately about diligence and making time to work on the house, and I'm so proud of Robert for doing this. I watch him put all this together and think about all the measurements and numbers running through his head and how smart he is. It's just amazing.
+ + +
I've become a bit of a Pinterest junkie lately. Mostly fueled by my love of Danielle LaPorte and how she's opened my eyes to a lot of new and exciting things.
To be honest, I spend a lot of time in negative mental space. I get eaten up with negativity, worry, frustration, anger, selfishness, etc. I'm human, after all. But the more time I let my mind wander in that direction, the further away my dreams seem. And the days add up to become weeks, months, and years, and sometimes I just sit back and wonder how I've already wasted so much time when I'm only 25.
What I'm learning is that when it comes down to it, the decisions we make on a daily basis are more geared towards how we want to feel rather than what we want to do or become. So I may want to write a short story, but it's because I desire feeling creative and intelligent. I may want to sing my heart out on stage, but it's because I desire feeling inspired and brave. I may want to reach out and have a conversation with someone, but it's because my desire is to be generous with my time and my heart. I may want to wake up a little early and put makeup on or use the prettiest perfume I own, but it's because I desire feeling lovely and soft.
When I search my own heart and really pay attention to the things that make me come alive, I can make choices every day that will give me those feelings. And the more I feel the way I want, I think the more my dreams and vision for my life will come true sooner than I'll even realize.
At the root of things, I want the joy and peace I know God wants me to have. And seeking to feel lovely, inspired, brave, and generous (and all the sub-feelings that come along with those) is a stepping stone on that path.
If you haven't heard of or read the Desire Map, I recommend it highly.
+ + +
A couple of months ago I posted a blog stating why I love being a part of my church and why my husband and I have chosen to remain planted there for 7+ years. Since then, more and more news articles and blogs have come out claiming all sorts of things about our church. Because I have friends on both sides of the Jesus-loving spectrum (evangelical megachurch attenders and those who have seen the depths of hurt in fundamentalism and seek to discount anything that smells remotely like it), my twitter and facebook have been a jumble of love and hate, enough to give me whiplash.
I'm a social media junkie. A child of the internet age. I can type faster than my parents and grandparents combined, and I'll gladly soak up news and popculture through my handy dandy iphone all day long.
And that's become a problem.
With all of the "controversy" and just the ability people have to spread opinions and thoughts faster than ever, my brain has been overwhelmed by all that I'm reading. So I've been on a social media fast. The plan is to stay off for two weeks (I'm halfway through now), but I think I may go longer.
In an effort to not miss it, whenever I think "Oh, I want to tweet that," I've been praying instead. I'm trying to curb my desire to over-share with the world and remember to tell God about what's going on in my heart, even when He already knows.
It's been a lesson in privacy, soul-searching, authenticity, and growing my relationship with Jesus, and it's been really refreshing.
+ + +
If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me through basically three blog posts in one!
