I don’t have anything profound to say tonight…I just felt like writing. Nate’s in California for the week at Catalyst—hobnobbing with the guys from Hillsong United, Erwin McManus, and other cool people, no doubt—and I’m playing dutiful wife, holding down the fort here in NC. Actually, I did it for one day. Tomorrow I’m whisking my kids and some friends away to the beach for the week! No complaints here!

Tonight I realized my last few posts were focused on my irritating neighbor, so I felt like I owed my readers a more positive blog entry!

After my last post, my irritability with The Truck pushed me to make a few phone calls—I filed a complaint with the HOA (AGAIN), the Police Department, and the Dept. of Transportation. I’m not sure why this truck issue lights me up so much, but when I stop and check myself I actually prefer doing battle with my neighbor’s truck than rewinding a year ago when we had no idea what the Lord’s plans were for our little family. This time last year I was fretting over where we were going to live and what Nate was going to do for a living. I’ll take a red truck parked beside my house any day!

After I got off the phone from making my calls to all the Big Dogs re: The Truck, I learned that until only a few weeks ago our street was still private and we did have legal grounds for having the vehicle removed. BUMMER! To think this could’ve been solved months ago when we first moved in! To learn that we had rights all along, but just didn’t know it was beyond frustrating!

So here’s my deep thought for the night:

How many Christians live their lives without exercising their God-given rights as sons and daughters of God Almighty? Don’t be like me and realize too late that more could’ve been done!

(Note the red truck in the picture.)

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago called “Forsaking My Right” re: my neighbor that lives FOUR HOUSES DOWN THE STREET and parks his old truck beside MY HOUSE…even after he has been asked repeatedly not to.

As I sit and calmly write this blog, my neighbor’s truck is sitting beside my house. Last night he drove his truck somewhere, so Nate parked both of our cars in “his” spot in an effort to (once again) communicate that there is no room for his truck to be parked there. This morning when Nate left, my car was still parked in the spot, with a little bit of room in front of it. I looked out my window a few minutes ago and what do I see?! That man finagled his truck into that tiny little spot in front of my car! THE NERVE.

Obviously this issue has me riled up. I battle it everyday. What infuriates me is the lack of respect this man has for his neighbors. He is determined to park in that spot regardless of what we say to him. Unfortunately, the only thing left to do to remove his truck is to start playing dirty…and I don’t know if we are those type of people. We could have it towed. But what would that solve? The truck would be gone for a day, maybe two. But this man is the type to have it back in the spot on the third day just to show us that he has claimed it. He has informed all of the neighbors on this end of the street (who are inconvenienced by his parking choice) that he has a lawyer on retainer concerning this issue. I believe him. Spiteful little man.

I’m praying for lightning to strike his truck. Please join me.

Thanks for letting me vent. This is obviously my human, fleshly side talking. More later.

Ever have one of those “OMG, what-if?” moments?

I had an “OMGOMGOMG” moment tonight, to put it in perspective.

Nate and Nathaniel were going on a walk and Ella wanted to join them instead of staying home with me. So I let her outside, assuming Nate and Nathaniel were still in the garage. I cleaned the kitchen and then went upstairs to run the kids’ bath. Once the tub was full, I went outside to see if I could find Nate and the kids to let them know it was bathtime. No one was in sight, but I could faintly hear Ella crying. I started walking toward the sound of her crying, and turning the street corner I saw her all the way down at the other end of the street running away from me and crying, “Daddy? Daddy?” I was afraid she was going to run into the street, so I called out to her and took off running to get her. When she saw me she said, “I can’t find Daddy anywhere! He’s lost! He’s lost!” She was hysterical.

I realized that she had been outside for those past fifteen minutes all alone, trying to find Nate and Nathaniel, who had already left for their walk. I was horrified. Of course I had all the “OMG, what-if’s?!” running through my head like, “What if she’d been hit by a car?” or “What if she’d gotten lost in the neighborhood?” or “What if one of the hundreds of random workers here in the new construction neighborhood found her?” OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG…….

PRAISE GOD she was protected. PRAISE GOD I did find her, and she was safe. But the scary thing is that everywhere, everyday accidents like this happen and unfortunately don’t turn out the same way. I have to push that out of my mind and just rest in the fact that, for whatever reason, Ella was protected tonight and our family was spared from what could have been a horrible tragedy. PRAISE GOD.

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit.  I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it.   Her picture doesn’t show me dancing around a pole.  It’s supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

For those of you who who’ve been living under a rock these days and haven’t heard of Jason Mesnick—or  maybe you’re a closet Bachelor viewer and aren’t brave enough to admit that you could not only identify Mesnick in a police line-up, but you are also one of those Americans who know waaaay too much about his love life—I am using a new term in his honor tonight. I’m pulling a Mesnick.

An hour ago I posted a heart felt “Siyanora” to Bloggie world. Then I spent the next sixty minutes transferring all of my posts to a Word document so I could keep everything. As I was transferring files, I had the chance to re-read some of my favorite posts and indulge myself in some of your comments. It took me an hour to remember HOW MUCH I LOVE TO BLOG. Actually, it’s not the blogging I love. It’s writing. I love to write. I struggle with my blog because I don’t know the “purpose” of it, other than the fact that it’s an outlet for my random creativity and an archive of our family’s funny stories. But at the end of the hour, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I love my blog.

Sooooo….I’m pulling a Mesnick. (He’s the Bachelor dude who started off the show dating 25 women and narrowed it down to 2 and then proposed to the girl he described as the “perfect wife and mother” and then BROKE UP WITH HER ON  NATIONAL TELEVISION so that he could pursue a relationship with the other girl he didn’t propose to….It was definitely the MOST DRAMATIC BACHELOR SEASON EVER, finally relieving Bachelor Brad Womack of the legacy).

So after I declared my heartfelt decision on the world wide web and then had to sit with it for a nano-second, I realized I’ve made a HUGE mistake and can’t possibly live with it. I’m pulling a Mesnick. Although, much UN-like the Bachelor, I’ve not broken any hearts…and no one even knew that I divorced my Blog before I came back to it, so….it’s sort of not really the same thing.

Anyhoo…I’m BACK!

We have a neighbor who lives four houses down the street named Reginald. Nate met him while we were still building our house. They seemed to hit it off and had several things in common. Both Believers. Both fans of Obama. (YES, you CAN be a Christian AND be an Obama supporter! GASP!) It seemed like the beginning of a promising relationship.

Imagine our disdain when, after our home was completed, Reginald continued to park his truck in front of our house. Well, technically it’s on the side of our house because we have a corner lot, but when I look out my Dining Room window, guess what I have a crystal clear view of? His shiny red truck. It’s not an ugly beat-up work truck or anything. In fact it’s kept spotless. But it’s not MY truck, so I don’t really care to see it every time I look out my window or leave my driveway or play in the yard with the kids.

The truck’s parking position has become somewhat of a neighborly issue. The neighbors in the two houses across the street have expressed their dislike to Reginald’s parking choice, especially since his house is FOUR HOUSES DOWN THE STREET. We have all gone to Reginald and asked him to please move the truck. We’ve gone to the HOA. Unfortunately our neighborhood streets are still public, so there are no regulations on parking and thus Reginald has complete freedom to leave his truck wherever he chooses…which is in front of my house. We’re working on that….but for now, the truck stays. And it hasn’t budged in over a week. He has claimed his ground.

I don’t know why, but this has become such an ISSUE in my heart. I mean, I boil over every time I see that truck, which is multiple times a day. That leaves me pretty much at a simmer for most of my day.  The issue isn’t really where he parks or all the traffic/congestion/aesthetic issues his choice creates. What it really boils down to is this: He is disregarding and disrespecting my right to have my yard and my view clear of his truck.

Nate went to Reginald’s house and had a very civil conversation with him about the issue. Nate made it clear that he wants both a healthy relationship with Reginald and his family, and also for the truck to be moved. Reginald also wants a relationship with our family, but does not want the truck moved. We are left with a stalemate.

I stumbled on this verse in my Quiet Time the other day and felt like the Lord ran right over me (with a truck…?!).

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” Romans 14:19

This verse reminded me that even though I feel my rights are being rudely violated,  I have been called to forsake my rights and lay down my life for others. Paul, the author of the verse I quoted above, did not concern himself with his own rights or comforts because his greater priority, over his personal freedom, was to lead others to Christian maturity (1 Corinthians 14:12, 26). This is how Jesus related to His disciples. He taught them that they could express no greater love than to lay down their lives for one another (John 15:13). Jesus claimed no rights. He was not a door mat, either! He CHOSE to claim no rights. He CHOSE to lay down his life. This is the truest example of LOVE. We are called to build up each other in Christ. To lay down our rights and our lives and put others first.

Even though I’ve received this reminder from the Lord, I still struggle with it. When Paul talked about this topic he said, “let us PURSUE the things which make for peace.” To “pursue” means to passionately focus one’s undistracted effort toward a goal. It’s no casual matter. It involves using all the resources God has given us to ensure growth and peace in the life of a fellow Christian. Paul said he labored, “striving…to present every man perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28-29). It took serious concentration and effort! That’s where I am. Concentrating on overlooking the red truck in my yard! And oooooooooh it’s hard! It’s an excersise! But I KNOW it’s what I am being called to do.

Pray for me!

When I was in college at Furman University, I had the opportunity to study the Japanese language, culture and Art History for a year my freshman year. My senior year, I studied the Chinese language, culture and Art History for a year. Both cultures profoundly impacted me, and I continue to nurture a great sense of respect and admiration for the people of Asia.

Now, eight years later I have been presented with the opportunity to go to China this June with a team from Mosaic. Part of Mosaic’s greater vision is to reach out and serve locally, nationally, and globally. I have the possibility of being involved on a global basis by working in a Chinese orphanage for the first part of the two week trip. The second part will be based at a Chinese university where I have been asked to be a guest lecturer, speaking to students on the importance of Art in marketing. The goal of the entire trip is to build relationships with the people of China who are starved by their Communist government from the living Gospel message of Faith, Hope, and Love in Jesus Christ.

There are many different needs for this trip. I would appreciate any donations you are willing and able to give. The total cost of the trip is $2200, which includes airfare, some food, and lodging. I know the state of the economy has taken a dramatic toll on many of us and I completely understand if you are unable to give at this time. Most importantly, I wanted to share the exciting news of what God is doing in my life and at Mosaic! How awesome to see the seeds God planted in my heart so many years ago come to fruition!

Our “Family Motto” is to “Impact, influence, and inspire the people around us for the Glory of God.” I feel that God impacted my life and influenced my Art eight years ago by giving me a passion for the Asian culture. I now hope to impact, influence, and inspire the people of China for the Glory of God. I look forward with great anticipation to sharing with you the miraculous ways God works in the lives of the people of China this summer. Until then…

Much Love and Many Thanks,

Carrie Davis

davispictures@hotmail.com

Here’s a conversation I had today. Enjoy.

Person: “Who are you?”
Me: “Carrie Davis.”
Person: “No, that’s your name. Who are you?”
Me: “Oh, I’m a stay-at-home Mom and an artist.”
Person: “No, that’s what you do.”
Me: “I’m an American.”
Person: “That’s where you live.”
Me: “I’m a Christian.”
Person: “That’s what you believe.”

I tried to say that I’m 5″2′ tall and have blond hair with blue eyes. But they pointed out that my physical dimensions and appearance aren’t me either because if you chopped off my arms and legs, would I still be me? If I transplanted my heart, kidneys or liver, would I still be me? Of course!

If you keep chopping, you’d get to me eventually because I have to be in there somewhere! But I was starting to get this person’s point—who I am is far more than what I am on the outside or inside.

The apostle Paul said, “We recognize no man according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16). But in fact, we usually do. We identify ourselves and each other primarily by what we look like or what we do. But if we change what we look like or what we do, does that change who we are? No…I am still me, regardless of what season of life I’m in, whether my hair is blond or gray, whether I’m a professional or a caretaker, married or single.

So that leaves me with the question, “What “unchangeables” are there for us to define ourselves by?”

Furthermore, is who you are determined by what you do, or is what you do determined by who you are?

I don’t have the answers yet…I’ll let you know what I come up with in my search, if you’ll do the same.

“Love Love Love is all around…”

A great quote from Dave Matthews.

Many thanks and sincere appreciation for the wisdom and insights into our schooling dilemna. God uses His people to speak into the lives of each other. It’s incredible. I have peace in my heart about keeping Nathaniel back a year and we are applying for Financial Aid to see if we can send Ella too. I am left wrestling with whether to keep Nathaniel in the 4 year old program which meets 4 days a week (he goes 3 days now), or put him in the Pre-K program that meets 5 days a week and will be a mix of 4 and 5 year olds. The pieces are falling into place and I’m confident that when the deadline rolls around tomorrow at noon, God will have answered. Again, MANY THANKS to everyone who put in their 2 cents. I feel like it was a unanimous vote, which was a cool confirmation.