Good-bye 1970's Bathroom

I am so tickled that after about a month of working on our kids' bathroom, then I am finally finished. This project has been a labor of love for me! It all began with the notion of taking off the retro wallpaper and little did I know how much work that would entail once it was down off the walls. What I thought would be a simple project... was anything except simple!

I did alot of research (by research I am referring to DIY blogs, Pinterest, & YouTube, ha!) along the way and am so pleased with the results! I am excited to share the process with you! For this woman, who used to consider herself stupid and incapable of doing anything good or right... somebody who felt worthless to accomplish much in this life... and this wife who thought herself incapable of handling even day to day chores.... I am overjoyed at the redemption that even something like this plays in my life!

The truth is that I *am* capable, smart, worthy, accomplished, and a redeemed woman in the eyes of God! If you feel incapable in your own life, then I challenge you to read the Word of God. What does He say about who you are and who He created you to be?

I am learning that I *love* these home improvement projects. This one was time consuming, but overall I really had fun transforming these bathroom walls from a retro 1970's to a modern day 2016!

These are the BEFORE pics. When we first moved in, then my idea was to embrace the retro quality of this wallpaper. I was going to paint the vanity a yellow/orange (thankfully, I hadn't gotten around to it yet, ha!) I bought a picture to match these orange flowers and although it wasn't my favorite room it did it's job. However, I noticed several months later that some of the paper was beginning to peel. I had removed a border from our daughters' room and that was easy. So I thought, "How hard could it be to remove this wallpaper?" Oh blissful ignorance...

Here are the DURING pics. I removed the wallpaper. Evidently, they put the wallpaper up on bare drywall? That's my best guess. Getting it off was a feat in and of itself. I tried *everything* and I do mean everything just to remove it. Finally borrowing a steamer did the trick, but the paper also took parts of the drywall off with it. Whoever hung this stuff... hung it up to STAY!!

With all of the drywall repair that would now need to take place, I had to prime the walls with special primer (Guardz). I like to paint and I have about 4 partial gallons of different types of primer in my closet. However, none of those would work. Nope, I had to buy a brand new *specialty* gallon for about $30 that I would only use a small portion of. However, I know I did the process right and that's what matters. Next, I had to skim coat the walls 3 times with sanding in between. So here is the skim coating process.

Lastly, I primed again, and painted twice. Here are my final results!! (I also painted the mirror.) I hoped to have time to paint the medicine cabinet and vanity, but I have some other pressing needs upon me right now and decided those two things will have to wait until later!! Truly though... I couldn't be happier with the results!!!

 Our kiddos are sure excited to have their mirror back in their bathroom. Apparently, it's really hard to be 7 years old and brush your teeth without a mirror, ha! Thank goodness for good paint, good blogs, and people who have shared their knowledge online so that I could learn from their expertise!!

One day we'll replace the outdated tile & change the countertop, but for now... white tile with brown speckles & a blue swirled counter will have to stay.... and that's perfectly okay with me!

Stand Firm with the Armor of God

In my Sunday School Women's Class I have been teaching about the Armor of God! It has been such a GREAT study that I thought others may enjoy what I have learned too!! As I've taught through the book of Ephesians, there have been a few weeks that have really had me super excited to share what I've learned. This study on the armor has definitely been exciting weeks for me! I have learned alot and have enjoyed passing on my newfound knowledge!

Let's begin with Ephesians 6:10-13

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

The word Power here means “overcomes resistance” like the resistance that could come from Christ doing miracles. This is the kind of power this word speaks of. It is the power we find in the strength of Christ. So we can be strengthened not only by the Lord, but also in His resources.

We put on God’s armor, and then we don’t fight… we stand.. still. Wow.. that's hard!

We don’t fight satan. We hold fast to the truths of who God is and that He has already won the battle and the war! God has conquered satan… He doesn’t need us to conquer him too. Without God’s armor, then satan can more easily penetrate us and try to defeat us. His schemes have affected us Christians for years, but with the armor of God, then we can stand strong against his orders.


In my Monday night bible study we are studying the Israelites. One thing Moses tells the Israelites in Exodus 14:13 is to be fearless. Be still. Be watchful. And be silent. So when I was reading this about the armor it made me think of how Moses told the Israelites to be still just as Paul is telling us to put on our armor and stand still against the devil’s schemes. When Moses told them to stand still, then the Greek meaning for that was to stand firm. When Paul is telling the Christians to stand in verse 13, then the greek for that is to stand against. In verse 14, we go back to the Greek word for stand that means to stand firm. So I think it’s safe to say, we we are in a position to stand firmly against satan when we are wearing the armor of God!

Standing requires us to use our bodies. We have to have a firm resolve and be partnered with God while we stand. If we sit, then we’re likely to fall asleep or become lazy. But standing requires more of us. More than anything, standing still requires us to let God do God’s part. Nobody can do God’s job as good as God can, even though we try so hard to play God and do God’s work in our lives. Ultimately, we are useless at it and often can cause more harm (and even miss out on God’s blessings) trying to be God than if we would just stop. Be still. And let God do His work in our lives!

Psalm 46:10 says “Stop your fighting and know that I am God.” So the lesson we can take away from this is to put on the armor. Plant our feet. Stand firm. Let God do His work. We wait and we watch silently and prepare to see the hand of God work in our lives against the efforts of the enemy.

Here I will break down the pieces of armor. Feel free to read through these carefully and at your own pace. They are so beneficial to the Christian walk. Just like a Roman soldier would never enter battle without all pieces of his armor fitted to him, then so must we wear our armor proudly and daily in order to stand firm against the enemy!


Click on each verse for a more in depth study of each verse:


14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist,
righteousness like armor on your chest,

15 and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.

16 In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is God’s word.

In one sense, the “whole armor of God” is a picture of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14). His faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14). This means that when we trusted Christ, we received the armor. Paul told the Romans what to do with the armor (Rom. 13:11–14): wake up (Rom. 13:11), cast off sin, and “put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12). We do this by putting “on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14). By faith, put on the armor and trust God for the victory. Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of salvation. But there must be a daily appropriation. When King David put off his armor and returned to his palace, he was in greater danger than when he was on the battlefield (2 Samuel 11 tells us of when David saw Bathsheba bathing and wanted her. From that moment he stumbled into satan's trap. He had an adulterous affair, was caught up in numerous lies, & committed murder). We are never out of reach of Satan’s devices, so we must never be without the whole armor of God.^{[1] (emphasis added)}

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 59). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Commentary used for my studies: 

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books

Belt of Truth & Breastplate of Righteousness

A Christian cannot be characterized by lies and still have close communion with the Father. It’s impossible. Think about King David. He told lies for nearly a year regarding what happened with Bathsheba and it caused him great torment. You can read about that in Psalms 32 & 51. He repented and the Lord restored his credibility as king and restored the relationship he & God had together, but think of the blessings he missed that year all because of the many lies he told in order to save his pride. Unless we practice truth, then we cannot use the Word of Truth! When our conscience is clear then we can face the enemy without fear!

The belt of truth is like a girdle that holds all of the other pieces of armor together. A soldier’s belt was worn over his garments and was the first piece of armor he put on. Without the belt then the rest of the armor loses all value and strength. The belt also holds the sword! Having truth gives us freedom with ourselves, with God, and with others.

The breastplate of righteousness is talking about the sanctification of a Christian. To clarify, justification is for when we are saved. Sanctification is for when we are becoming more Christ-like and storing blessings/rewards up in Heaven. We will then present those blessings back to the Father during our worship of Him. Our sanctification also shows non-believers who we are and what we’re about.

Without the belt of truth, then the breastplate of righteousness cannot stay in place. A soldier’s breastplate was most likely chain link and it covered his waist up to his neck on the front and back of his body. This breastplate protected his chest from an enemy’s attacks. Likewise, sanctifying, righteous living guards a believer’s heart against the assaults of the devil.^[1] The life we live is one where satan is unable to penetrate us during attack or one that we are weakened enough for him to defeat us. First we need truth, then we must stand firm in righteousness. Without practical righteousness in our lives, then we are opening ourselves up for satan’s attacks. We must stand firmly against satan by practicing righteousness, because it is the righteousness of Christ that affirms us, as believers, of our salvation.

Click HERE to return to the Armor of God Post

Or go directly to the next verse:
15 and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.

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^[1] Hoehner, H. W. (1985). Ephesians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 643). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Wear the Shoes of the Gospel

A bit of history for you... The Roman soldier wore hobnails in their sandals. These were like small rounded tacks that were in the sole of the shoe and provided traction against slipping and falling. Like the above picture, it kind of resembles a soccer or baseball cleat except the hobnail is metal instead of rubber. If the walking surface was smooth then the hobnail would often cause men to slip. However, they are perfect over mountainous areas with rocky terrain and desert-like areas. Like it was in Rome.

If we are going to stand firmly against the world and withstand the attacks of satan then hobnailed sandals are what we need. The Christian life is rarely ever smooth. It is often rocky and hard to maneuver through, but God gives us the hobnailed sandals we need to walk the journey He has set out before us. 

The shoes of the gospel also represent peace. Because we have the peace of God, that so often surpasses our understanding, then we do not need to fear satan and we do not need to fear man. In order to defeat satan’s attacks then we must have peace with God and with others. Now, this does not mean we are to be doormats in order to “keep the peace”. In scripture we know there is a difference between being peace makers and peace keepers. We are not striving to be peace keepers in order to remain at peace with others for the sake of sacrificing ourselves and what we are about. 

That’s not who God made us to be. We *are* to be peace makers who strive to make peace while also having boundaries for ourselves. It protects our personhood so that we don’t allow others or satan to bring strife into our lives. Allowing strife into our lives is sinful and it can easily cause separation from God. Satan has declared war against peace, but we are ambassadors of God’s peace!  (2 Corinthians 5:20 verifies this.) Our stability in the gospel gives us peace so that we can stand strong in battle!

The shoes have a 3^rd meaning though too. They are used to carry the good news to non-believers. We know from Paul to the modern day missionaries in 3^rd world countries today just how rocky the Christian terrain can be. How unsure and uncertain that journey is. We can have peace in knowing that God is in control and He will keep us safe while also using these good news shoes to travel with us as we tell others who Jesus is. The most victorious Christian is the one who is sharing the good news of who God is and what Jesus has done for them. Then, that believer now has what’s referred to as beautiful feet. (Romans 10:15). 

We have the opportunity and privilege to take the gospel of peace wherever we go. We choose to stand firm against satan because we have the peace of God within us.

Click HERE to return to the Armor of God post

Or go directly to the next verse:
16 In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Shield of Faith

The shield in a Roman soldier’s attire, made of wood, was about 2 1/2’ wide and 4’ long. It was overlaid with linen and leather and often dipped in water before battle to absorb fiery arrows. Thus it also protected the other pieces of the armor. 

We can know that the shield consists of faith. Once again, the faith mentioned here is not the faith of justification. It is living faith… faith that trusts in the power & promises of God! The idea, then, is that a Christian’s resolute faith in the Lord can stop and extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one aimed at him. Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.^[1]

I think it’s so amazing to learn that a soldier’s shield had interlocking sides. This is so that soldiers could stand in line with each other and form a long barrier or wall with their shields. This shows us and teaches us that we cannot walk this Christian life alone. We are not in battle alone! In Esther 8, she told us that it was “along with” Mordecai that she saved the Jews. Mordecai couldn’t have saved the Jews without Esther and Esther couldn’t have saved the Jews without Mordecai. We have to have our “along withs” in life. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  We must remain together, standing strong with our shields before us in battle, so that we can remain strong.

We can also know the other glorious side of this is that the Holy Spirit is with us. We are never alone, because we have Him with us at all times. 2 Timothy 1:13-14 says to “Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.” So we can know, we are not ever alone in this walk. No matter what fiery arrows satan determines to throw our way, then we can trust that we have our “along withs”: we have the church, and we have the Holy Spirit as our guide.

Click HERE to return to the Armor of God post

Or go directly to the next verse:
17 Take the helmet of salvation,and the sword of the Spirit,which is God’s word.

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 58). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Helmet of Salvation and Sword of Truth

Satan attacks us through the mind. He uses those fiery darts to penetrate us and when all else fails he will seek to harm us through our thoughts. Have you ever had a thought before and then thought, “Whoa! Where in the world did that come from?” That was satan! Take that thought captive immediately! Say aloud, “Satan get away from me!” He cannot stay in our thoughts unless we allow him to.

He will bring ungodly, sinful thoughts to your mind and he will speak lies over you.

“You aren’t good enough."
"You are ugly."
"You try to be good, but you’re not."
"Nobody believes you. "
"That person is much better at this job than you are"
.... and the list goes on...

 He will make you doubt yourself and your knowledge just like he did with Eve in the garden in Genesis 3. 

“Is that really what you think?"
"Do you think that’s what God would want from you?"
"Are you really a Christian?"

We can so easily be coerced and tempted and manipulated by satan’s attacks on our mind.

So many Christians think that intellect is unimportant. That we don’t *have* to study scripture in order to grow closer to God. I’ve spoken often about loving God with our mind and even blogged about it here. We must know scripture in order to defeat satan! If we don’t know the truth of what God says, then satan will distort the truth to make us stumble. 

Think of Matthew 4:1-11 when Jesus was tempted in the desert. If Jesus hadn’t known the scriptures, then satan could’ve easily talked him into sinning by merely attacking his mind. But Jesus knew the scripture. Jesus IS the living, breathing Word of God! Jesus was unchanged by the devil’s lies. 

But what about you? Do you know the scriptures well enough to stand against satan’s lies & manipulations? If you were presented with untruths about God’s word, then would you know it? I don’t say this to condemn you, but rather to make you think. If you're a believer, then you are armed with the word of God. You have been given the helmet of salvation. You are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. You have the Bible, God's Holy Word, to use and gain knowledge from. So are you using these resources to provide yourself with the helmet of salvation? We need it!! We must block the lies, manipulations, and mind-games that satan will bring our way. 

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Wherever Paul was, then he 

taught the truths of God’s word so that the people who heard the good news would be wearing helmets of salvation and protected from satan’s lies.

Now that we are wearing our helmet, then we can take up the sword of the Spirit. A material sword pierces the body, but the Word of God pierces the heart. The more you use a physical sword, the duller it becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives. A physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the sword of the Spirit has its own power, for it is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). The Spirit wrote the Word, and the Spirit wields the Word as we take it by faith and use it. A physical sword wounds to hurt and kill, while the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. But when we use the sword against Satan, we are out to deal him a blow that will cripple him and keep him from hindering God’s work.[1]

Go back to Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted. Three times he said, “it is written” and satan also used those same words: it is written. Please understand... Satan knows the scripture too, but take note that he won’t use it in completion. He uses just enough of it to bring us confusion. The better we know the Word, then the easier it is for us detect satan’s lies and reject him.

Click HERE to return to the Armor of God post

^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 59). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.