An act of God

It strikes me as unfortunate that we use the term "act of God" to refer to catastrophe. Have you ever read a property and casualty insurance policy? It may state that the insurance does not cover losses from hurricanes, or tornadoes, or high winds, or other "acts of God."
Today I want to tell you about a little "act of God": an answer to a little prayer.
Last week I attended the Renovare' International Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Renovare' is an organization dedicated to Christian spiritual formation, dedicated to helping folks in the journey of becoming like Jesus. I love this. I am so grateful to God for the chance to become more like Jesus--to be changed from the inside out, transformed by His grace into the likeness of His son. (If you'd like to know more about Renovare', check out the website. Or email me with any questions.)
Anyway, the Renovare' International Conference was wonderful. I could feel my heart and soul expand with joy from being there.
Unfortunately, my brain doesn't always keep pace with my heart and soul. And my not-so-full-brained self lost my computer on the trip home. I got to Durham, unpacked a few things, and discovered that my computer was missing.
So I prayed. I was by this time exhausted, so my prayer was simple: "Lord, you know when a sparrow falls, so I'm sure you know where my computer is. Would you tell me, God?" The next day, I had lunch with a friend, and she boldly asked God to get my computer back to me.


Well, guess what the FedEx man brought to my house today? Here I sit at my computer, thanking God for His goodness, thanking God that He cares enough about me and my everyday life to help me find my computer. (You might like to know that, after I prayed, I "saw" myself in the security line at the San Antonio airport, putting my computer into its own separate bin. I called a TSA representative in San Antonio to ask if they had my computer. They did not. But get this: the TSA representative asked me to describe myself and to tell him when I had come through the airport. He then reviewed the security video until he located me, and he watched the feed to see what I had done with my computer. He could see that I had walked away from the security line with my computer in my hand and then walked into a gift shop. He put me in touch with the gift shop and with Airport Police. My computer was Item #735 in police custody.)



And so my episode of absent-mindedness led to an act of God. Not a big Act of God--nothing that warrants a newspaper headline. But one of those small, routine things that God does every day, as He loves and cares for His people. Those He rescues from the sometimes treacherous paths of our everyday lives. Those people who "in Him live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). People like you and me.

Oh, Savior, my Redeemer,
What can I but adore,
And magnify and praise Thee
And love Thee evermore?
(Frances R. Havergal, "Is It for Me?")

New life for a little chair

My bathroom has a small vanity area. The perfect spot for a great vanity bench. Problem is, I don't own a vanity bench, and I've never been able to locate one for a price that I wanted to pay (i.e. cheap). But I love to sit while I do my hair, or sit while I brush my teeth--because I like to read while I do these things. Am I the only one who reads while she brushes her teeth?

Lacking a cool vanity bench, I've perched on various things. Recently, though, I dragged a tired old chair from my attic and decided to turn it into a vanity seat.

This chair is one of a couple left from the first dining room furniture my husband I ever bought--estate-sale furniture purchased in 1990. I don't know how old it was in 1990, but you can imagine how the seat looked after having been used in the dining room of my boys' early childhoods, having been moved five times, and then having been stored away in my attic for years. I didn't take a picture of the seat, just of the chair. Here she is:

(Just pretend that I know what I'm doing with photos and that this picture is turned correctly. Sheesh!)
And here she is now:

I simply sprayed the frame with Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint and then used some leftover fabric from the bedding I made this spring to cover the seat.  The chair is a perfect fit for my vanity space.  Maybe I can sit here, brush my teeth, and read about how to take better pictures.




I like it! I think it's better here than it ever was in my dining room. What do you think?

Shared with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. Check out all the fun transformations!

Frugal skincare

The other day my husband and I were discussing birthdays, and suddenly he said, "You know what? On your birthday you'll be the sum of our children's ages!"

Thank you, dear. I needed to hear that.

Take it from an aging redhead: one day you're gonna wish you had worn sunscreen. So I thought I'd share with you my best skincare secret. Here it is:

Yep, Oil of Olay. Look for "Olay complete" on the label. Its SPF rating is just 15, but don't let that fool you. Besides the chemical sun barrier, it also has a physical barrier to the sun: micronized zinc oxide.

Now for my frugal tip: If you use liquid foundation, save the bottle when just a little foundation is left. Then fill the bottle using your sunscreen. Shake very, very well. Maybe even stir a little with a cotton swab. And voila! You've got tinted moisturizer in just the right shade.

And if you want to train your children's brains, do what my husband did: have them come up with the mathematical formula for when your age will be the sum of their ages. Have fun with that.