Author: Caroline

When I'm not riding in the backseat of my Grandpa's restored vintage car "Mable," I'm doing other things like... rising to most adventure occasions my husband proposes / chasing our toddler around Brooklyn / enjoying neighbors, strangers, and friends / making countless trips to the laundromat / writing for various publications and for personal reflection / loving and serving our local church / cleaning the bathroom / hosting small and big crowds in our home / meeting up with a friend for coffee / thinking Vocation is my strange frenemy. Though I have worked and existed in many stations/places, I am convinced that each day has good work to be done and that I am equipped and prepared to do that good work. This blog explores the tension and the intersection of a constant vocational call - to good work, neighbor love, and living in the kingdom come. My favorite things are coffee and creating and laughing (preferably with company). I love to listen to sermons and read biographies and make tea before going to bed.

Apartment C-3 Makeover

Almost.

I would be lying if I said we were completely done with our little home makeover, but let’s just say we went from zero to 60 this weekend. Tonight at 10 pm I cleared as much as I could to take the final photos. I still have some creative touches to add, but here are some pictures of the past few days and the “final.”

This is the closest to “rust” we could find. Before we were finished, I’m pretty sure some of my joints actually rusted from overuse… is that possible?
My favorite Heather phrase from the past couple weeks, “I’m easy.” Now, don’t get the wrong idea… by “easy” she means that she could go along with anything. Like painting… she would walk in the room and say, “Put me in coach.” Umm… pretty awesome!

I’m not sure if this was Friday or Saturday night, but either way it was the last few strokes before we cleaned and crashed… as you can see from the excitement on my tired, painted, dirty face!


You might wonder if we got ANY paint on the walls.
We did, slowly but surely.
And then, we started looking around to see what else we could paint. These cabinets, which were so delightfully colored purple and blue, were a strange sight to greet a morning wanderer in search of breakfast in the morning… which is why we decided to mix a few colors to find chocolate brown. Who doesn’t like something chocolate?
We couldn’t leave the project without making our mark. So – here are the initials of the 2008 girls of apartment C-3.

So, remember on Saturday we were having a hard time locating a ladder? Well, I tracked one down. The only problem emerged when the ceiling was about another ladder’s worth high. Did that stop us? No. Neither did this cautionary sign on the top of the ladder. I think it’s more of a suggestion than anything.

This is the inspiration for our entire common space. I picked up this piece of fabric a LONG time ago in a scrap pile at the fabric store (which, as it turns out, is not any cheaper than the normal piles!) and they are now our kitchen curtains!

Here’s the piece where my creativity got a chance to run free. Since my roommates didn’t care, I let loose! I drew a tree on an overhead projector and then painted it right into our kitchen. I’ll add leaves eventually, but for now this is it.


I wish you could see the sweat on these walls! But, you CAN see the amazing, fabulous “wall words” now stuck to our living area wall. There really couldn’t be a more fitting verse for us to see every time we enter our apartment. Thanks, Shelli, for sending this great addition!

Well, there you have it. We’re almost done. A few touches… like a subtle hint that we’d like our furniture re-upholstered (or get slipcovers), curtains for the living and dining areas, and something to make those metal doors a little less… well, metal.

C-3 Makeover 2008
We spent way too much money on paint, laughed way too hard at very lame jokes, danced to Mariah Carey, Hanson, Switchfoot, Frank Sinatra, and the WICKED soundtrack, went crazy several times from the fumes, giggled without reason, and FINISHED a very big job, despite minor and major setbacks!

If YOU have a crazy remodel story – share it with us!

Posted on by Caroline 0

Weekly Lineup

Last week, we tried something a little different. We asked YOU to submit a blog to post. Of the generous outpouring of clever submissions, we found a gem (which we quickly published). If you didn’t get the chance to write something… please do! We’re not like those crazy people who don’t have enough time to read what you’re writing. We will read it and love it!

So, this week here’s what you can probably, most likely, maybe see up here on musings.
Apartment C-3 Makeover
Read about the finishing touches on our apartment remodel. It was a combined 4 days work, 3 girls, 7 gallons and two pints of paint, 8 walls, 6 furniture pieces, several chocolate and tea breaks, and a LOT accomplished. Look for pictures!

Secret Life of Bees
Many of you have probably read this. Some of you are maybe curious. Well, I was looking for some good fiction to read by flashlight last week during power outages and borrowed this from a friend. Read my thoughts on this interesting novel.

Thanksgiving
When I was younger, we would go around the table and list the things for which we were thankful. I know we kind of bemoaned the practice as kids, but I secretly loved it (maybe not so secret… I bet if you asked my siblings they would say I was as cheesy as Mom when it really came down to it). So, what new Thanksgiving traditions do you make on your own?

Watching God Work
I’ve given up. Of course, I’ve given up before, but I’m hoping this sticks. I hope that this time, when I give up control it will be lost somewhere deep under the mudslides of this mountain with no hope of retrieval. God is sometimes curious in His might… but the more I behold, the more I desire to “treasure these things” as Mary did and trust God for Who He is.

There may be more, may be less. Feel free to chime in though, at any time!!

Love from C.A.

Posted on by Caroline 0

weekend inspiration

So, my roommates and I have long lamented our strange, bare, cement walls and dreamed of a paint makeover. All sorts of obstacles loomed in our way: getting the paint from the hardware store to the mountain without a car, explaining a vision for the color rust, recruiting everyone to see the same vision, finding the perfect color from 16 cheap choices to somehow fit the vision, carving out time to tear up our common space, being crazy enough to just do it.

Well, as you can see from these pictures, we somehow overcame every obstacle and right now are in the middle of the transformation.

If you are wondering why we are painting only to about 8 feet, it’s because we have not yet located a ladder and we thought a straight line would be nice until we can find one to finish.

The obstacle of being “crazy enough” … well, let’s just say that as the night progressed our craziness only increased, to the sounds of Relient K, Def Leppard, the Now and Then soundtrack, and Coldplay.

Halfway through our fume-filled evening, I noticed our countertop had accumulated a curious mixture: paint cans, spinach, grapes, 70% cocoa chocolate, half-drunk mug of tea, placemats, potholders, camera case. Also – what you don’t see – fresh pumpkin bread, and several multi-purpose tools.

Color two went on pretty well, until we realized we were painting with two different colors. Yes, that’s right. Apparently, in Honduras, you should never assume that two paint cans of the same label are actually the same paint. Things are just a bit different here.

But, we made do.

And, if you remember, way, way back when I wrote about buying fabric and being inspired…. well, it’s finally going to have an outlet! After we finish the coats of paint in the kitchen and living area, I’m going to do a little experiment inspired by Christina’s posts awhile back.

I’ll post the finish product for you to see!

Posted on by Caroline 2

crazy routine – delightful and unexpected (guest writer!)

So, our mom took the bait and has shared this little gem. Hop on over to her blog to read more about her crazy, routine adventures!

Crazy routine – delightful and unexpected


Two phrases stuck out to me when reading this blog last night:
“….routine…….crazy”

“..delightful, unexpected, life things…”

So, because she was asking for guest writers for this week (and it’s already Thursday), and because I am enjoying a wonderfully relaxing day while my students are at an honor choir, I am sharing this tiny space of …space… with her.

At some point in everyone’s life, if they are productive and passionate and purposeful, (please note alliteration- I worked very hard at that), they find out that, oddly enough, routine and crazy actually work out very well together. The key is realizing that each have their time and place, and knowing when to roll with routine and rock with crazy. Flexibility! Those of us who are control freaks have a hard time with this, but believe me it’s one of the most valuable lessons to learn in life. Side benefit: aids in learning to trust our Heavenly Father!

Which leads to the second phrase rolling around in my head. If we are flexing, trusting, rocking, and rolling, we will discover “delightful, unexpected, life things!” Those serendipitous moments that push us out of our routine and into crazy. Those “out of control” things that happen when we least expect it, but we learn to cherish because of their infrequency. Things like unexpected compliments, deep conversations, touching compassion, random acts of kindness, surprise encounters.
Enjoy your crazy routine, my daughters. In it you will find the delightful and the unexpected.

Posted on by Caroline 0

sunshine

The mountain finally has power! After three days, my mountain has electricity. I heard a transformer blew, but I’m wondering if it might be because of a little confusion in the wiring.

I don’t know, I’m just saying.

So, the past three days have been a mix of chilling rain and murky clouds on the mountain and blue, bold skies in the city. I thought I would share a few pictures of other things that make me think of sunshine:

Pictures of Myla Paige French

The thought of my family gathering around to sing, “Count Your Many Blessings,” next week in Iowa.

The half painted walls in our apartment … which means it’s becoming our home!

These are just a few things – what makes your day sunshine?

Posted on by Caroline 0

line-up, change-up

Well, this week is out of the ordinary… and late, of course.

Why? You might ask. Well, for starters, for two straight days my mountaintop has been without power. The winds rattle the walls and windows all night and darkness greets our mornings.

Needless to say, my routine has been a bit crazy.

Several thousand miles away, I haven’t talked to the other (more creative genius) half of this blog in awhile and I don’t want our next conversation to be about this blog.

So….

Because of these delightful, unexpected, life things, I was wondering something…

I was wondering if YOU could be our lineup this week. Respond to this post with suggestions for future blogging, things you are thinking, questions you are pondering, blessings you are thankful for… pretty much anything goes (that you think my mom would also approve and enjoy :).

So – let’s see what you got, my lovely readers. But, you’ve got to write it down!

Posted on by Caroline 3

nobody wants to be lonely

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what it means to be included. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m immersed in junior high drama, counseling around the ins and outs of friendship circles, or if it’s because I’m still getting used to the idea of being a resident and not a foreigner in this land.

Either way, today I’m reminded of the song, “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” that was popular when I was in junior high/high school, sung by Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera. (Come on – I can’t help the ridiculous songs that get stuck in my head!)The song is thick with illustrations of exclusion, interwoven, of course, among heartsick expressions of “love and longing.”

I’m trying to find a way to fit all these things together… to make some sense of my thoughts on the stronghold of self-pity in relation to my experiences of the necessity of human interaction.

And what I’ve come up with is this: the world likes it when we feel lonely, excluded, outcast, disregarded, cut down, ashamed, and worthless. I say the world, but what I really mean is the king of this world, our enemy satan. The tricky thing is the world is both the source of all these feelings and the seeming solution. Somehow, satan positions himself in a way that, though he deceives us first into feeling this way, he also manages to deceives us into thinking only he can get us out.

Am I making sense?

It’s kind of like that old, old story of the two people who were deceived into thinking they could become like God. Nothing good came of their being deceived, but their first line of defense was to cover up with some flimsy leaves, thinking they could hide the feelings of shame.

It’s frustrating. The world promises all sorts of things, like: thinness, self-confidence, wealth, fame, friendship, love, and satisfaction, but when it (inevitably) fails to deliver, there are endless worldly antidotes, like: therapy, diet pills, luxury vacations, divorce lawyers, ice cream, and get-rich-quick schemes.

Frustrating.

I suppose I’m no closer to understanding junior high drama, nor have I captured completely my transition. But, I do know that the schemes of our enemy satan constantly seek to frustrate my Creator’s plans of redemption.

I can be frustrated – the righteous indignation kind – but I must know and believe that, though the world will fail us, God will not. And His plans will not be thwarted.

Posted on by Caroline 0

ordinary vs. extraordinary

saints, humanitarians, martyrs, healers, preachers, prophets, me, kings, prodigies, celebrities

One of these things is not like the other things.
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Can you guess which thing is not like the other thing
before I finish my song?

http://www.youtube.com/v/tZIvgQ9ik48&hl=en&fs=1

(Just thought I’d flash back to the old “Sesame Street” days)
Well, you probably guessed it by now… it’s me!

Awhile ago, I dove headfirst into a novel by the renowned Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky. The dive was delicious. And, as I followed the main character Prince Myshkin across the Russian countryside, Dostoevsky often contrasted the lives of the ordinary with those of the extraordinary.

He made the point that we simply will not all be extraordinary. We cannot without altering the very definition of the word “extraordinary“. I know – roll it around in your mind a bit.

As Americans, we are really put off by the notion that we will not be extraordinary. It’s some kind of right we fellow Americans think we will always enjoy. Hm.

Well, as I think back on Dostoevsky’s assertions, it doesn’t take long to decide where I fit in. I wake up each morning and so far nothing in my life has set me apart in a way that will show up in history books. Believe it or not, no one is knocking down my door to ask to publish the words on this blog or hidden in my journals. Each day, I wake up and go about the life of breakfast and teeth-brushing and penciling lesson plans and struggling through parent conferences in Spanish.

All these things and nothing to distinguish me against millions and millions of others doing similar, seemingly insignificant tasks.

Could we make the argument that we are extraordinary as Christians? Sure. I’m sure someone will.

But, I really believe that after Adam and Eve sinned, their daily toil would really not make a catchy headline. Day-to-day life normally isn’t.

I am also encouraged by the people between the lines of history. Those people that didn’t make it into the pages of the Bible, save for a few lines where they were found in a crowd or village. Those people – they are ordinary.

I’m an ordinary soldier – an ordinary sojourner – who is learning to be satisfied with the gift of ordinary days. Our service to the Holy King makes Him no more or less great… for He is the extraordinary One and dependent on nothing.

I’m just purposing to do ‘ordinary’ excellently.

Posted on by Caroline 1

Being a Christian isn’t about being good and nice

http://www.youtube.com/v/CCHHxlxGfWM&hl=en&fs=1

I was thinking about this after doing a bible study with my girls group a few weeks ago. We had been talking about the tongue, and how to keep our tongues under control. It was a decent discussion, but some of the girls’ take-away thoughts left me thinking, “wow, they really don’t get it…”

That got me thinking… the worst thing that can happen from this Bible study is that these girls go away, not gossiping, not slandering, not complaining… but not KNOWING the God who created the universe. You know? Because although one less gossiper is better for the world, the girl is no better without Christ.

WHICH got me thinking… you know, being a Christian isn’t about being good. It really isn’t. And I think that the fact that people have gotten it all a little confused has messed up a lot for God’s Kingdom. The confusion between goodness and holiness, the confusion between being a good persona and being a sold-out soldier for Christ, this has not done good things for God’s cause.

For really, we should not be known for being boring and good.
We should be known for our mercy, our love, our sacrifice. We should be known for sold-out service for our great King. We should be not good, but a revolution of Christlikeness.

And my Christ? Well, he was definitely not just nice. He changed the world.

Posted on by Caroline 1