There is a beginning but never an end...

April 18, 2012

Good Morning, Readers!  Instead of coming to you from North Texas, I will be writing from my perch in Central Texas!  I was up early this morning.  I thought things would be simpler when we moved here but until the casita is done, we are bursting at the seams and needing to revisit what we want to keep and store even more than we have already!  Yesterday, I packed up the left over garage sale things and omg, I have more than enough for another garage sale the end of October.

Toby and I took a walk through the gardens this morning to survey what needs to be done there.  Good grief those weeds can poke through the mulch quickly.  I did some pruning on my flowers and shrubs.  The roses are still blooming like crazy and the honeysuckle at the back door makes going inside and coming outside a sensual pleasure.  All of a sudden, I heard a loud whistle ... two ladies were standing at the back fence.  I walked over and we had a nice chat.

Remember, in a former blog I said that I wished I could build a fence so as not to look at the mess behind me?  Well, God really has a way of humbling me.  The 92 year old man who lives there fell some time ago and had been in a nursing home for rehab.  The two ladies were his daughters.  They said that they just loved what I was doing in the back yard and were wanting to do something similar that would be easy to care for.  They gave me so many compliments that I felt started to feel uncomfortable.  The Lord sure has a sense of humor -- He gently teaches me to be more positive and less judgemental!  (Note: their dad hobbled out using his walker to get a closer look at the gardens in progress ... he was so tickled at what he saw!)

The beginning:  The construction started yesterday on the casita (aka my Woman Cave).  I felt this sense of elation rushing through me as the demolition began.  It didn't take long to fill a trash trailer and wipe the cob webs down.  I stood in the middle of the (now) garage and could just picture me sitting there doing what I love to do ... read, pray, write ... munch on dark chocolate!!  Lupe had all these questions for me that I couldn't answer.  He knows that I trust him in getting the basics done.  All I've told him is that I want a pedestal sink and claw foot tub in the bathroom, a gas fireplace at the end of the room, double french doors on the East side of the main room, and the open rafters and wood walls painted an off white.  I have two pieces of furniture that I kept from the house in McKinney -- a great wing backed chair and my bookcase.  Ah yes ... I can see it now!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth ... he created all form of life including man.  John 1:1-5 says:  "Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God.  He has always been alive and is himself God.  He created everything there is--nothing exists that he didn't make.  Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind.  His life is the light that shines through the darkness--and the darkness can never extinguish it."

I thought about that passage when I was standing at the doorway to the casita.  The old has a new beginning.  My casita will be a place of refuge for me and for those who share time with me.  It will be as a lighthouse shining in the darkness -- the spirit of the Lord will reside there drawing those that need to know Him!  Will it have an end?  Physically, probably so.  All things on earth will fade away in time including the casita and my earthly body.  "Dust to dust."  What won't fade away?  The spirit of the woman who created the casita will never die ... the lives changed and encouraged glorifying God will live on forever.  When I think about eternal, I cling to my faith in everlasting life.  I am a sinner saved by grace who will experience moving from this world to another place.  This is my foundation, my rock ... and, it is upon this rock that the casita will evolve.

I am glad that Lupe is a Christian.  He gets it!  He understands my excitement and the reason for this labor of love.  He will do his best to make my vision and my dream come true.  How could I ask for more?!  He turned the little casa into a lovely home and I have my dream kitchen.  Lupe is a man with a strong moral compass.  His word is his bond ... a man who can be trusted knowing he will do what he says he will at a fair price.  He has become a man known in the community -- he works with youth at his church and is on the school board.  He is an encourager ... a visionary!

Today, the hammering and sawing is music to my ears.  I wrote scriptures on the four walls and am bathing the project in prayer.  You know that old saying, "measure twice, cut once?"  Well, Lupe is teaching this young man in the photo how to build and he cut the board ... the other young man took it over to the wall to put it in.  Oops - three inches too short.  He was so embarrassed.  I laughed.  I bet he will remember that lesson.  Lupe is a patient teacher and treats his crews well.  It might take longer than normal to teach and allow mistakes but it will be done right in the end...

My dryer buzzer is going off and calling me.  I should stay inside and organize the mess created from the garage sale but I am drawn outside to the sunshine.  I'd much rather be outside than inside ... there is just enough wind to be comfortable and the temperature is perfect!  It will be too hot to be outside before too long so I will enjoy Spring and all it's beginnings!!

Have a wonderful day ... I think I'll have a picnic outside at lunch today.  How about you?  After the restful Winter, are you drawn out into the sun?  It is wonderful to breathe deeply and feel sheer joy running through me -- body and soul!!

Always know you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!

Miss Dottie

Psalm 127:  "Unless the Lord builds a house, the builders work is useless."