Painting Project #1

So here is the project I've been working on for the past week or so. My dad recently painted all of our outside doors red, so I wanted to paint this chair that sits on our porch too.

It's pretty old and kind of beat up now so I wanted to freshen it up with some paint!

Looking better but not done yet!

Ta-da!

What do you think? One of my sisters thinks the red is too much, but my mom loves it. I'm not sure that I love it, but I think it definitely looks better!

The weather in my hometown has been delightful this past week, warm with a refreshing breeze. I worked in my garden almost all day Friday. This time of year, between spring and summer is my favorite. The smell of the blooming privet hedge, the chirp of crickets, cool breezes, and warm sunny days are a balm to my soul. Something about this time of year makes me feel at home like no other season can.

 I'm so thankful that God made the world to be a beautiful place, that I am able to enjoy it and that His grace keeps it that way!

A Day to Remember

I have to admit it...I've been denying it long enough. I'm so excited about the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William! My excitement is a little bit late seeing how the wedding took place this morning while I was snoozing away, but I did wake up in time to watch the highlights. It was so beautiful, such a joyous day! A day to be remembered.

I guess nearly every girl is a teensy bit jealous of Kate Middleton. Not that I envy her all the protocol and duty her life will be full of from now on, nor even Prince William himself, but just the idea of marrying a real prince and becoming royalty is enough to make any girl's heart skip a beat.

The thought came to me this morning as I was sitting outside on the swing, drinking my V-8 fruit juice; I have my own prince. It flooded me with joy! The thought, of course, was not new to me; I've read tons of books that tell me I am a princess in the truest sense of the word because of my faith in Jesus Christ (One of which, of course, is the Bible). In fact, I'm a double princess; I am a daughter of the King of kings and I am engaged to the Prince of Peace, Jesus. (If that sounds a little weird to you check out Ephesians 5:22-33)

Usually it's pretty hard to convince myself of the truth of that, especially when I'm living out a normal, nothing-royal-about-it life. Today it's different; I've been reminded that sometimes fairy-tales are real, sometimes things that seem too good to be true are truer than anything else.

So today I am basking in the joy of the knowledge that I, me, Jenna, the girl who is afraid of people jumping at her in the dark, loves extra, extra sharp cheddar cheese and quoting movies, I am tenderly loved by the Prince, by God Himself, by the greatest Man who ever lived and He is waiting eagerly for the day He can bring me home.

Now that will be a day to remember!

"spiritual auto-pilot"

Here's a great blog post from Ali at SheSeeks!

http://www.sheseeks.org/2011/spiritual-auto-pilot/

This really challenged me. I have struggled with turning on my auto-pilot when I open my Bible, reading without listening. I have to force myself to think about what I'm reading, see how I can practically apply it and practice it. I am excited this week to see how God speaks to me through His word. I look forward to sharing what I learn with you!