Ease or Scars? What have I chosen?

I have kept this poem for over 25 years. It challenges me as much today as it did when I first read it. I fear that I do not bear the wounds or scars that I ought, had I poured my self out, more fully, for my Savior. How easy it is to take the comfortable, self-satisfying road.


No Scar  
– Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And, pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?

by by Marian Trinidad via CREATIONSWAP

Organize Me!

What to do about the fridge?

Times they are a-changin'. Two of our three sons are now on their own. One got a job in a nearby city last summer and the other just got married to a wonderful young lady (which means I finally have a daughter!!). We also had a friend renting a room who has gone to Argentina on a 6-month missions trip and will be finding a new place when she returns. So what does all of this mean? I suddenly have two rooms available that I didn't have before. What to do with all of that space and my extra time?

 REARRANGE and REORGANIZE!

I am now in the process of prioritizing my organizing projects. But for today, I chose a smaller, more noticeable project. Our refrigerator has permanent dull marks on it from the rope we used to tie it down for transport home from the Sears scratch and dent store. Ouch! Lesson learned. So I cover those marks with lots of photos of our families, friends and missionaries. I was using magnets, which meant the photos had a tendency to slide around and look sloppy or even got knocked onto the floor.

- Imagine "Before" picture here -

Today I cut lots and lots of little magnet pieces and stuck them on the back corners of each photo and then arranged them on the fridge. It looks SO MUCH BETTER! It's a great way to enjoy photos of the people we love everyday!

I'll add some more family pics on the right, to clean it up a bit. But for now, here's the finished look:

Since I need to cover the rope marks, I'm happy with the solution!

Maybe now I am ready to tackle a larger project, like 

finishing the guest room!