We have a new rule. When you can't find what you're looking for... build it yourself! And that's exactly what we did! We love our new TV Table. You can head on over to Craftsman Drive to see exactly how we did it. We altered the measurements a little to fit our space, but for the most part, it is built to scale.
These are the behind the scenes shots. It doesn't get more real that this. It was an easy project that only took about three hours, and cost around $50.00 to build. We paid home depot to cut the wood for us so all we would have to do is basically put it together.
Actually...we're quitting all social networking sites (for a period of time at least)... Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter more specifically. Our first reactions when the idea of taking a break came to mind were "what if we miss something." It was then I realized that I had a problem. Facebook and Twitter are everywhere! Any channel you turn to, any website you visit, there's always that logo. Nowadays, people don't even advertise their site, they advertise their Facebook page. Now, don't get me wrong, Facebook is a great tool to keep up with family and friends, and also a great way to market your business, but for us, we're noticing a trend that needs to stop. We don't see Facebook as even by any means, we are just simply trying to grow in our faith more, and a good way to do that is eliminate something that takes up the majority of our free time.
It's interesting.
We never have time to read our bible, yet we ALWAYS have time to see what our friends are up to, and scroll monotonously through our news feed. We don't have time to do our research papers in graduate school, but we have time to share countless pictures of food and our dog. Most young people don't even remember, but there was a time when social media meant listening to independent bands on myspace. We weren't into everyone's business or posting our picture-perfect lives on the internet for the world to see.
Don't get us wrong, we will definitely miss the interaction, but for now, it's time to focus on more of what really matters in our life. Of course, we'll still be updating our blog, and if anyone is dying to get a hold of us, you can always email us at tschruff@icloud.com.
We've never really shared personal thoughts or opinions on our blog before, so this is a little new to us. Our goal in this is that we can encourage others to open their eyes a little more, and be open to the fact that life is really beautiful and should be cherished.
When I first sat down to write this post, I thought I'd just put a few motivational pictures on here, and call it a day, but when I began, I felt led to dive a little more deeper into the notion that we're only here for a short amount of time. I've always had this philosophy that God created this earth, and I wanted to cherish every moment that I'm here. We are so guilty, especially myself, of getting caught up in the mundane tasks that are required of us on a daily basis, that we forget to stop and be thankful for what we have. It's not easy... we're not wired to be like that. It's natural for us to get distracted, but one day, these blessings we overlook will be gone. Everything in this life will eventually perish, so we should cherish and value the time we do have.
I think we should live it up. There's always that saying "live today as if it was your last." For me, that's not always possible, because I promise, if today was my last day on this earth, I wouldn't be worried about that deadline for my 15 page research paper, or going to work that day. I don't think that quote is very realistic, but what we should do is acknowledge that life is short, and we should do more of what we love when possible. Ashlynn and I love to travel, so when we can, we travel. After all, if God made this beautiful earth, we want to see as much of it as we can while we're here. Why not? Just do it. If there's something you love, or want to do, make a plan, set a goal, and do it!
While on the subject of life being short, we should probably talk about how life is hard also. It is. It's hard! And don't let any pastor trying to get you saved tell you otherwise. When you inherit the kingdom of God, it's going to be tough at times. Christianity does not make life easier. When we become Christians, we automatically inherit an adversary that will do anything to take us down. That's a reality that I think many Christians try to ignore. I think many times, pastors try to paint this picture of if we just believe in Christ, we'll be happy-go-lucky, running through the fields with our Savior, without a care in the world. That's not true. Now, don't get me wrong. When times are tough, we have Jesus Christ to turn to and lean on. That's actually been my only saving grace at many times in my life. If you asked me why I believe in Jesus Christ, I would tell you not only by faith, which is extremely important, but by what he's done in my life. You can't tell me I lucked up and just stumbled upon marrying Ashlynn. Seriously. Those of you who know me personally know that my luck sucks. It really does. If there's a hard way, you can bet it'll be harder for me. That's just how I roll, and I've finally learned to accept it and embrace it. But anyway, God brought Ashlynn and I together. It wasn't luck. There's no way I could have it this good without divine intervention. My life is amazing. Easy? NO! Amazing, definitely, because whatever I had envisioned in my past for what my life would be, is ten times better with my wife by my side. If I ever questioned God's love for me, all I have to do is look at my wife. It's right there.
This is one thing that Ashlynn and I really had to work together on last year, and even this year. We'll probably be working on it our entire lives, but it's important to be happy. If someone's bringing you down, or just simply toxic to your character, just let them go. Life is simply too short. I decided last year that I would spend as much of my time with people I loved and loved me than with others that have nothing better to do than bring you down. Be happy. Surround yourself with people you enjoy being with. Also, those people that bring you down in no way define your character or what type of person you are. It only speaks of their heart, their failures, their shortcomings, and ultimately their ignorance. So remember that, when someone is responding negatively towards you, ask yourself, "what does that say about them?" instead of what that says about you.
I want to end this post with this video. This is from someone that just recently passed away from cancer at age 27. The man in this video, Nick, made it so his daughter can see that her dad loved the Lord, and that God the Father will take care of her.
The point I'm trying to make with all of this is that we should soak up every single second with our children, our spouses, our parents, our family, our friends... we should cherish our travels, where we are, where we've been, and where we have yet to go, because everything works together for the glory of God. Everything. Instead of living like today was our last, why don't we love like today was our last. That changes everything.
You know what's funny? Now that rustic furniture has hit the mainstream and is the new "thing," expensive furniture stores are imitating these unique pieces with unique price tags as well. Sure, if you don't have the time, go for it, but we find something rewarding, and appreciative when we restore furniture ourselves.
This table took about two days total to complete with work, the commute, and a graduate class in-between.
Here's the before shot... in all of it's glory. Not a bad looking table to begin with! We didn't sand the original piece. We primed it, put a coat of paint on it, and then distressed it. After that, we sealed the deal with a couple of coats of polyacrylic. You can see a tutorial video of how we chose to paint the table here. We used a special paint that was developed here in Nashville, called Blackberry House Paint. It dries evenly, doesn't streak, and doesn't have harmful fumes.
Our chairs came from Stein Mart. After an exhaustive search from about 6 different HomeGoods and TJ Maxx stores, we found these!
