Hidden in plain sight.

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday! Loving the word prompt today, HIDDEN. Hope you enjoy my true story of something I thought I had lost. Join others who are writing on the same thing today by clicking here!

Hidden in plain sight.

Have you ever lost something that you thought was gone forever? I have a couple of times. Once, 35 years ago, I lost my engagement ring and wedding band. We searched high and low, you can read the funny, or not so funny story here.

I have moved another eight times since that loss that was never found. In this latest move, my sons were helping us load a truck and go through boxes at the same time (I do not suggest this) and they opened a box that literally brought tears to my eyes. When we sold our home in Missouri, and moved to the country of Latvia in Eastern Europe in 2010, I sold almost every thing I owned to be able to pay, and stay, for the duration of our commitment. From Longaberger to Hoosier cabinets, I parted with treasures. But ever since that move, I could not remember what I had done with our china. I had never seen it again and yet did not remember selling it. Did it get left behind in the old house? That was a possibility because the storage room there was endless and complicated. Regardless, the beloved pattern that I had picked out with The Sweetheart some 40+ years ago, was gone.

So, back to the story…Kris and Korey came upon a box marked fragile and there it was. Every single piece, including the crystal stemware, was in perfect shape, no chips, no cracks, nothing was broken.

Hidden. For years, something that meant so much to me was hidden from me and yet I had probably touched it, brushed by it, stacked other things on it, etc. It was right in the room with me and I never saw it!

I felt a whisper from the Lord about that. Is He so near at times that we could reach out and touch Him but we do not even realize He is in the room? Do we brush by Him, too busy to really dig deep and get to know Him, too careless with other things that we stack on top of Him, pushing Him to the bottom of the heap?

It happens. He is hidden from us and we do not realize it. We are busy, we are rushed, we are sidetracked with LIFE and yet there He is…waiting to be unpacked, to be used, to be glorified in our lives so that we might lift Him higher for others to see!

We aren’t perfect. We stumble, we fall, we get back up again. We strive for perfection but we will not be perfect in this life. Yet, we don’t have to be!

The Christian isn’t supposed to be perfect, he is to point others to the One who is!

As I unwrapped my china, washed it, dried it and put it in a cabinet that was easy to get to, and something I would see every day, I noticed the insignia on the bottom.

Treasure Chest. I had a treasure hidden from me for years, wishing I knew where it was at times, remembering it when special occasions rolled around and wondering if it would ever be a part of my life again. Would I be able to leave this treasure, special to me, for my children or grandchildren?

When Kris and Korey saw the china that had made me tear up they made the comment that not only did they not remember it but they did not remember ever having a meal with it on the table. Yikes. Treasures are not meant to be hidden! I promised the next meal they have at my house will be eaten on china even if it’s Papa John’s. I’m going to use it.

Even more important than 40 year old china is this One we call Jesus, the lover of our souls. Don’t let Him be hidden from you, don’t just bring Him out for special occasions or spend your life wondering if you will ever truly know Him. Take Him out of His box and use Him today. He is waiting to be unwrapped.

Help is a blanket

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Help is a blanket.

It’s FiveMinuteFriday and I still do not have Internet. We have been in our new apartment for one month and installation is no where in sight. Usually, if I want to write, I hop in the car at six a.m. and head to Starbucks. I grab my coffee and then sit in he parking lot because I am usually not presentable to go inside. Today? I typed the entire post on my phone with my chubby little thumbs…even made my image with an app and it wasn’t easy. Most importantly, I hope this post about HELP will help you or someone you know who needs the encouragement. Happy Friday!

The year was 1983 and I had a busy life with a toddler, a husband, a house to care for and a job.

Then, I became sick. We were young, didn’t have insurance and I just thought it would go away as before. But a diseased gallbladder rarely stays too quiet. I laid on the couch in our living room slowly turning yellow, my mother had come to take care of me because the pain was so bad.

Finally, when I could stand it no longer, The Sweetheart insists I go to the doctor and I was immediately admitted to the hospital with severe jaundice and gallbladder disease. My doctor walks into the hospital room and mentions surgery.

Surgery? I was only 21 years old! He said it was the worst case he had ever seen and I was his youngest patient to operate on for gallbladder removal. Worrying about our lack of insurance, I asked if it could be put off and I just take medication. His words have forever stayed with me,

“I operate today or you die tomorrow.”

That will pretty much put things in perspective for you! I was petrified, letting the seriousness of the situation sink in, and fretting over my little one at home. Things happened so fast but someone thought to call our pastor and he was there to pray over me before they wheeled me away.

Can I say that this was truly the first time I had felt that supernatural peace of God? Before prayer, I was anxious, extremely sick and scared to death. Remember, this was before laparoscopic gallbladder surgeries. But as soon as he prayed for God to guide the surgeon’s hands and to give me peace and a quick recovery, it was as if peace was a blanket and they had just pulled it up over me.

Help. Jesus came to help me as a young mother almost 34 years ago to remind me down through my life that all I have to do is call His name and He will be there to help me. He didn’t miraculously heal me so I would not have to go through the surgery but He HELPED me have peace that He was with me and everything would be alright one way or another.

Are you facing a mountain or something that seems impossible today? Let Jesus help you by relinquishing control and that peace of God, that truly does pass understanding, will cover you like a blanket.

Update your Longaberger baskets!

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Update your Longaberger baskets!

I can remember the very first Longaberger basket I bought in the early 90’s and I still have it. I can also remember my husband asking, “You paid WHAT for a basket?!” Yeah. The darning basket, $25, plus the liner and protector. That was nothing compared to what we were paying for them a few years down the road. But, back then, I loved them. They went with my traditional home and everyone else was buying them!

With my latest move to Tennessee just a few weeks ago, I was changing out décor and updating things for a new change in a new city, a new state. Just as others are updating their honey-oak cabinets, woodwork and even furniture, why not get some more use out of expensive baskets that are still in good condition? I sold quite a few baskets and almost all of my pottery when I moved to Latvia in 2011 but still kept about 20 baskets. What to do with them now that they didn’t fit in the new place?

Enter Pinterest. I wondered if do-it-yourself-ers were painting them and how did they do it? I found a few but they were too detailed and too involved. There had to be an easier way!

Experience is the best teacher so I started with a can of chalk paint spray paint. It did a great job covering but I didn’t like the finish quite as well. Here, you can see how it transformed this basket.

Next, I tried a satin and then a glossy spray paint and I liked them both. Unfortunately, I don’t have a “before” of all of the baskets…didn’t think about a post until I had painted a few! Here is what I call the banana basket because that is what I used to use it for. Before:

And after, in the guest bath!

Here is the paint and color I used on all of the aqua baskets:

Here are a few more I tried in blue ocean breeze, the first is the small trash basket, no, it doesn’t sit on my vanity, lol. Just for pictures!

The leather handles took the paint perfectly! Don’t be afraid! This one holds rolled up towels.

Even the little baskets that go in the cabinet to hold essentials received a makeover!

Here are a few in the satin gray granite by Rustoleum:

And my favorite, the large hamper, 25 years plus!!! The basket was still in great shape but the lid was looking pretty rough. This simple paint job really made it look years younger!

I did an old Easter basket in a very pretty cream glossy. It looks wonderful!

Does this give you the nerve necessary to tackle your own project with your tired-looking baskets? Go ahead, give it a try! Pick your least favorite to start, and preferably a small basket, if you are nervous and just be careful not to overspray. Take a paint brush and dust off the baskets, doing your best to get the lint and dirt out of the corners, they are dirtier than you think! Then you can start spray painting. Just be sure to go back and forth lightly so it doesn’t run. Let it dry according to the paint can instructions, sometimes I could respray in an hour since I was doing it outside. Keep turning the basket and be sure not to let it stick to paper. Have fun with it and in no time you will have a room full of NEW baskets to enjoy for many more years to come.
Sharing with A proverbs 31 wife, Amaze me Monday, Modest Monday, Counting our blessings, Tell me a true story,Sitting among friends, Wake up Wednesday, Friendship Friday

Hidden in plain sight.

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Help is a blanket

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Update your Longaberger baskets!

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