. . .I made more $ than I would have if I had a yard sale. . .and I realized I am an artist, all in 48 hours...because I posted my creations on Craiglist. . .AND THEY SOLD!!! First let me say a goodbye to my creations, then I will tell you how the Lord let the Spirit touch my heart to remind why we have talents. . .and more importantly why we should use them.
My "beloved", that is what I named my table and chairs, is going to live with a sweet newly wed couple. He came by to see it last night and said it is exactly what they want. He is in the military and they are buying their first home here. Could it go to a better home?!? They just put the deposit down on their home and wanted to know if they could come and get the table next week when they get paid again. I remember those days,(wait we are back in those days-thank you economy. . .) so I agreed to hold it for them.
It gives me another week to use it. I am so excited to think this sweet couple will be making memories on the table I gave new life to. It was so ugly before. . .Want to see how ugly?
They actually look better in the picture than they did in person. They were nasty dirty and we had to use a knife to get the goopy, yucky stain off the top. You can see where one of the cushions was ripped open. . .And now they are perfection.
I also sold this sweet little side table to a new family that just moved into the area from Georgia. They have 3 little girls and the oldest is starting kindergarten. I mentioned we homeschooled and she mentioned they may also, depending on how this year goes. The mom was here for almost an hour chatting and noticed a framed quote I have on the wall, this one:
She asked me if I painted the frame and I told her I did.
"Have an Attitude of Gratitude" by Thomas S. Monson (the President and Prophet of the LDS, Mormon, church). I printed the quote (for free!), from Mormon Mommy Blogs. She then said you must be LDS. I was surprised she said this because not many people see the name Thomas S. Monson and know who he is! I was hoping she would say she was too and she did...but not quite. She was raised LDS, but she isn't now. . . :( Her parents are and her mom is coming to stay with her for 20 days in a couple of weeks to help her paint and decorate her new home. She is using the piece she bought from me as a jumping off point to decorate her living room. My little side table is going to help set the feel for her living room. . . ! . . . It is a small world.
So, now I have an empty space next to the couch that I will have to fill. :) I think I love Craigslist. In 48 hours I sold 2 projects for the price I asked for them. I am thinking the 3rd bedroom may become the school room and have an exercise/art studio in the bigger, tiled room that it now occupies. I could paint more and help supplement our income-from home!!! I had a moment of clarity. I may have had this one before (that is what I do. Learn something about myself. Forget it...and then remember it and realize that I have a gift from Heavenly Father than I should be using. . .) in fact I know I have, so bare with me. I am an artist. I realized this as I was picking up the living room, getting ready for the nice new husband to come and look at the beloved. As I was walking down the hall thinking of other people loving my creations as much as me, I saw this in the hall way:
It is where, at the moment, a couple of my paintings have landed. They were in the spare bedroom and while we were going through all the stuff in there they go stuck in the hallway. I love my daisy picture that has yet to find a home (I have only hung a couple of pictures, I need to get into making this sweet house our home.). It hit me then: I am an artist. I have a talent that I can use. I am artsy. Tina wanted me to paint her a picture of white birches when I was in NH and I doubted I could do it. Why did I doubt it? I am an artist! That is what I do, or at least what I should do. I am not bragging, I promise. I just realizing that I do indeed have a God given talent, that He is expecting me to use!!! I just met a less active member of the church, who bought my side table, that wants to keep in touch with me to help her create her home. I am helping a newly married couple start creating their home. Is that a coincidence or does Heavenly Father want me to use my talent? My
Patriarchal Blessing, actually says I will help others make their homes beautiful, so it can be appreciated by their children and communities. In Matthew chapter 25, the Lord gives men talents (talents where coins, but we know that this is a lesson on using the things we have to bless others: our talents), and when the man that was given 5 talents comes back and shows the Lord that he has doubled his talents, the Lord says to him: "Well, done though good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter though into the joy of thy Lord." The Lord is pleased when we use what he has given us. The Lord was not happy with the man who hid his 1 talent. That man was called slothful. I am not going to be slothful with the talent the Lord has given me. In Moroni 10:18, it says: "And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ." I know that the Lord has given us all gifts and it is our job to find them in ourselves and use them! Some of us are just to self doubting, and stubborn to use them. I know that the Lord has made me an artist and I am going to use that talent to bless and serve others. It is a tender mercy to be cleaning the house and for the Lord to remind me through the Spirit that I have a talent, the
He gave me.
Next week when the new owners of the beloved come to pick her up, and after that, I will be painting the old table and chairs and the dining room. I am so excited to have one room completely done. It will be a perfect 16th anniversary gift to our little family.
