Magnetic Dry Erase Board!

With all the heavy posts recently (here and here and here), I thought I'd throw in a little crafty craft to lighten the mood!

My birthday/Mother's Day gift from Mr. Kuda was a little closet office to call my very own. After having my laptop float around the house, I cannot tell you what a blessing this little space has been! I will definitely do a post on the office itself, but I thought I'd show you a little project I completed as a part of the office.

This little ditty took no more than 30 minutes. So easy! And it was the perfect addition to my little (and you'll see at a later date, it is just that: little) closet office.

Supplies:
* Open frame, any size
* Stainless steel sheeting (I used 28 gauge)
* Tin snips
* Push points
* Notched picture frame hanger

How To:

1.  Start off by snipping the stainless steel with your tin snips to the measurements needed for your frame. There's a bit of a learning curve, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I found that if I didn't close the snips all the way and kept a continual scissor motion, the cut line was much smoother.

This was my first cut...

And this was my second...

It got better. I promise. And I wasn't really too concerned, given that the edges would be hidden by the frame.

2.  Using a flathead screwdriver, push the push points in around the frame, spaced evenly. My frame is 11x14, and I used two on the shorter side, and three on the longer side. Depending on your frame, you may have to use a hammer to tap the screwdriver a bit to get them in. Be aware that they are a little thin, so if you apply too much pressure, you'll bend them.

The trick is to get the "point" as flat as possible, and push the perpendicular part toward the frame.

3. Last, but not least, you need to hang your frame! I chose to use a notched hanger, but of course choose whichever method you think is best. This was the quickest and easiest method for me, especially since all I had to do was measure to find the center, then push it in with my own two hands. Easy as pie!

4. Accessorize! Hobby Lobby is my go to place for inexpensive doo dads, and of course they didn't disappoint... I found a magnetic eraser and dry erase markers, which was perfect for this project. Further, a sweet friend of mine had made these magnets for me. Perfect!

And there you have it! I wish it looked this organized all the time, but sometimes it does get a little out of hand. Here's what it looks like right this second...

Some kiddo artwork, a birthday party invitation, and a reminder of why I stay home :)

Hope you enjoyed this! It really is the perfect addition to an office space, or even the kitchen/mudroom/foyer... wherever your home base is. Have fun!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

What's the point?

Some time ago, I found myself sitting around a table with a group of folks I love dearly. J was telling me how beautiful the church he had been to that weekend was. Under my breath, I said softly, "I should have gone." The woman sitting next to me, someone I respect and love, said quite curtly, "Why? What's the point?"

I sat there shocked. And just smiled and brushed it off. Because I didn't know how to respond. How do you respond to someone you love, who has such a visceral reaction to the church you love so much? I prayed silently for the words to come, but I remained dumbfounded. I couldn't find the words.

This is something I struggle with as my faith grows. I'm constantly bombarded with folks I love, friends and family and neighbors and the like, that don't get my faith. They don't understand the point. I've actually been told on a number of occasions that I'm too smart to believe in God.

What's the point? Why do I go to church? Why do I believe in God? In Jesus? Why am I having such a hard time with this if Jesus is supposed to make my life easy?

I'm not going to write a book on this, probably not even a good few paragraphs, but I feel it's important I put my thoughts down. As a people pleaser, I've grown weary of this burden I've placed on myself, to live in two worlds: one of believers, and one of those who just don't get the point.

I don't have the ability to look around this world and just see the science of it. I can't look at the miracles I see every day and not think of a higher power. I can't look at my kids as just a bunch of cells growing into little humans, and now their own unique selves and personalities, then think there isn't a being who hasn't planned these kiddos from the start. I have three close friends, THREE, who were told they'd never have biological children, that it was medically impossible. But they did. With no medical explanation. I can't help but think that these aren't coincidences, and I also can't help but think we're all here for something other than living, dying, and slowly deteriorating underground in the dirt. Why?

I believe in the Bible. I believe there are things about the Bible we don't understand. I can't answer questions related to dinosaurs and fossils created millions of years ago, but I believe that truth will come to light at some point in time, either in this life or the next. I know bad things happen in this world that are difficult, sometimes impossible to stomach, but that does not take away the one thing I am absolutely 100% positive about.

I have faith. Faith that I'm not the beginning and end of all of this. Faith in a Lord who has shown Himself as an earthly man who was Christ. And faith in a love so strong, so powerful, resulting in a death so that I could experience eternal life. No condemnation. No guilt. Love others as I love myself. Admit my faults and disastrous inconsistencies, and believe. Believe.

Is that so crazy? And why does it make me less than intelligent? Do I think my faith makes me better than others? No. Do I think my faith gives me an upper hand when it comes to matters of the heart? Not necesarily. Because I'm human, my faith is imperfect. I don't fully rely on God all the time because I'm unable to get over myself. But I get up the next day, and try again.

This is my point. This is what gets me through my day. This is what makes me want to be a better person, a better wife. Mother. Daughter. Friend. Neighbor. Fellow passer-by. And this is why I go to church.

I know some of you don't understand this. And that's ok. My only wish is that you see me for me. See my joy in Christ's love. See me as a seriously flawed and imperfect person, who just wants desperately to love other people as Christ loved each and every one of us.

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda