Shine Your Sink

Drastical is washing dishes by hand. Okay, not all of them, there is a dishwasher. But, to not leave a mess in the sink...you just might have to wash a few by hand.

Drastical.

I'm going to learn how to better take care of what I have.

Drastical.

"Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality." Romans 12: 11-13 Good stuff!

This was for real drastical: go into the grocery store with $60 CASH. And, don't overspend. Calculate the amount in your head, and if it goes over....ask the cashier if she can put it back. (Just please don't ask WalMart to put shrimp back....gross....it will never make it back to the cold section).

Drastical is paying attention to details

We should do drastical more often.

Today it was a pizza picnic in the front yard after a cleaning & moving party. Good friends and good husbands and good dads came to the rescue today. If you haven't made time to be a good friend lately, I recommend it. What comes around, goes around.

I do not take my blessings lightly. And the biggest blessings are below:

Charlotte & I went with Tonia to see how Molly's Motors is coming along. They are building a showroom. We didn't get to talk with Daddy very much because there were customers in and out the whole time. We didn't mind!

I think I need to take Jane's advise & dive into Job. I'll let you know what I find. You know life is different when Sunday morning is a time you look forward to. To me, church has become very stress relieving. Who doesn't feel better when someone else is helping take care of your problems?

Life as a "Drastical Vagabond"

January 20, 2009

Life as a Drastical Vagabond.

Today was the first day that I had vagabond-like feelings. Where is my home? Pam reminds me that it is here, at Tanglebrook Trail. I had a quick freak-out session this morning, but luckily got over it quickly…with the help of Dee.

Friends make life so much easier. She called at just the right time and helped get me moving. We went over to the “rental property” and packed up all of the groceries, art, and lamps. Why is it “stuff” makes you feel at home? After hanging some more art, plugging in my radio, and turning on 5 lamps in one room, it feels like home. And, at about 3:00 Mimi knocked on the door to see if Charlotte could play for a little while. So far, so good. We are supposed to store up treasures in heaven.

But, I still think it is funny that your own things, pictures, pottery, books make this earthly home homey. It is feeling homey.

Moving to the Adventure Home

January 19, 2009

“Live like no one else. So you can live like no one else.” Dave Ramsey

Some of you all are going to start reading this and wonder if we’ve stopped using deodorant and eating meat. Others of you will say, that is so Ben & Liz. This is an update on the Miller’s. Brace yourself, it is kind of “drastical.”

Our colorful townhouse (below) is now rental property. We now live in my in-laws basement.

Huh, when did all of this come about? Well, January 1st after a major reality check, talk with God, look at the budget, and some tears Ben and I realized that the amount of money we are in debt is huge. Why? Mainly the start up cost of a business, some of life in general. One day when we are debt free, I’ll tell you the amount…and you will surely be impressed! And, for that day to come quicker, we have decided to start living DRASTICALLY.

January 1st I put our townhouse on craigslist. February 1st it is officially rented.

Let me clarify, when I say my in-laws basement, this is not nearly the dim picture that this phrase paints. Pam and Bill are incredibly welcoming yet respectful of our space. Basement means a 800 sq. foot living room, bedroom, and bathroom. When we first talked this idea over with Pam and Bill, Pam called back an hour later and said, “there is one problem, Charlotte being too spoiled!” This is not a bad gig.

Hopefully this “drastical vagabond adventure” will have drastical, positive, long lasting effects on life as a Miller.

I don’t know about you, but there are those times in life when God whispers something to you. You hear it, and do nothing. Sometimes that whisper gets louder. I turn up the music, get busier, make a to-do list. And, then that whisper becomes a clear conversation. Act, move, go, do. That has meant start a car lot. That has meant have a baby. That has meant make art. That has meant join a church. And, now it means pay attention to the details of life. And, those details start with Ben & I learning to hear that whisper everyday.

Dave Ramsey says, “Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else.” Hopefully if we really pay attention to that whisper, and that green stuff that can so easily control our lives, we will be able to make great strides on this task.

Reflections over cheap wine...

January 2, 2009
12:00 a.m.

Reflections through a glass of cheap wine.
This is raw. I hope it is at least. If we lie, what do we gain. First, I must say that praying and drinking wine can co-exist.

I am a DRASTICAL VAGABOND.

And, my worries are only DRASTICALITIES.

What are those?

Will I be able to drink wine in my mother in-laws basement. Or will I have to use a Dixie cup. Who cares? That is just a drasticality.

I just googled drasticality. And, I LOVE that nothing worth while pops up.

This is all just a drasticality. Can I create art in a basement?

These are my prayers:
For my talents and Ben’s talents to be used, drastically.
For our townhouse to be rented (hopefully by good renters) quickly.
For me to enjoy by job and persue it with passion.
To be comfortable living with Pam and Bill.
To please God through this process.
For Charlotte to be loved fully, taught, and for her to know God.
Family! Friends!

WHY is it SO hard to part with JUNK that you don’t like and don’t need?? I haven’t touched this stuff in years. So, why is it SO hard to introduce it to the trash can? Even when I know that I will be so relieved when it was gone.

IF YOU were to go back to college for a year….now….what would you take? Would you put a fridge in your room? Would you take pictures from elementary school? PART WITH THIS STUFF.

I am inspired by Jesus. The Fly Lady. Dave Ramsey. My BF group. My Husband for his guts. Tonia for her selfless spirit. Sarah for her drive and motivation. Ericka for her being so sensitive and constant over time. Heather for her intuition and the way she just -knows what I’m saying. Dee for her energy. Christine for her matter-of-fact-ness and no drama nature. My mom for her patience and love for kids. My dad for his advise and calm nature. Kayla and the way she adores Charlotte and is so stinkin’ smart and respectful.

I am inspired by Taylor Swift to live FEARLESSLY.

I am inspired by Jesus. He was not on earth long. He lived perfectly. Did you ever stop to wonder what that looked like at 5 years old? I just love Him. I love that he wanted to help people. That he knows what we need. That he takes that brut of all of our ick-iness. And, that he was willing to DIE for us. WOW. That is just huge. And, I’m sorry that I am not capatilizing HE. But, we all know that He is he is Jesus. I am inspired by the way that he heals people that do not deserve it. I am inspired by the way that he loves everyone. I am inspired by the way that he shows that he is real when you ask him to. I am inspired by the way that he is evident in my life admist uncertainty. I am inspired by Jesus.

And, I want you to know that I am drinking wine. And, I am Baptist. Above all, I am a Christian, I am a follower of Jesus. And, He (capitalized HE) turned water into wine. I am thankful for the freedom and the honesty that wine brings.

Back to cleaning……

DRASTICAL: is an interesting way of cleaning house. Put your house up for rent. TODAY. Move out in 2 weeks. DRASTICAL

Drastical: Having the guts to get rid of clothes that don’t fit, and admitting that they will never fit again.
Drastical: Is going to UPS, them telling you it will be $22, and saying “NO THANKS” and going to the Post Office and paying $14. That is drastical.

Have we lost our minds?

January 1, 2009

At 9:00 this morning, I posted our house for rent on Craigslist.
I received two phone calls and two e-mails today.
Someone is coming to look at our house on Saturday at 6:30.
HAVE WE LOST OUR MINDS?
So, I have torn apart every room into the trash, sell and keep piles. And, our house is a disaster. I didn’t cry until 9:00 tonight when Ben reminded me that we are moving, we are not spring cleaning. I was upset. But, then he calmly put it into perspective.
WE ARE NOT LOOSING OUR HOUSE. We are gaining an investment property. We are choosing to move, to live DRASTICAL.

These are all DRASTICALITIES.