Storms come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they blanket the Earth in a dark heavy downpour. Some are cleansing and wash away all the grey matter accumulated over time. One of the dark storms hit me towards the end of last year. It didn’t just show up one day, it slowly rolled into town and hung out for a while. ***Please note this was written in 2017***
My favorite escalator in Macy’s on 34th in New York.
It’s funny how storms can be perfect. A perfect series of events that guide you in one direction or another. Lots of little rain drops that add up to a tidal wave and slide you right off your feet.
Beauty and good food at Chelsea Market in New York
I’ve spent January (and now part of February) floating along in the current that swept through and upended me. Quiet and alone, feeling no pressure to make any sudden movements I have sat and waited for direction. Unable to swim, pull to the shore or paddle up stream, I have literally just given way to the journey this past month has been. I think it was a lot of things yelling at me all at once that pushed me over the edge. Maybe you’ve felt that way before?
Unimaginable destruction and resilience at the 9/11 Museum in New York.
The world has been a noisy place lately hasn’t it? Every time I turn around opinions are flying, confusion is rampant and hearts are heavy. Like drops of rain on a tin roof the noise just got louder and louder to me and I just wanted to be away from it all. And I certainly didn’t want to contribute to it. Who cares about painted furniture when there are refugees without homes?
Four of the cutest baby bunnies EVER!
I had all but decided to stop the blog and move on to other things. Not really sure what those other things were, I patiently waited for God to give me some direction. He wasn’t as fast to answer as I’d hoped. So I waited some more. Convinced that the noisy place of social media and the internet were no place for me, my thoughts or my DIY projects. All the controversial opinion throwers could have it. I was out and uninterested in joining the game of right or wrong, left or right. Then the drops started again.
With Barb from The Everyday Home blog, at the Hometalk offices in New York
This time the drops were warm to my face and had sun behind them. More like a fresh summer rain that cools the heat and washes the sweat of the day away. The perfect storm to push me out of the depths and onto dry land again. Cleansing and life-giving rain falling on the parched land of my soul. So here I am.
In the time I’ve spent away from screens I have come to know in my heart now more than ever, we are at war. I don’t mean a war with bullets and weapons, but a spiritual war that has always been there, but for me has shown it’s full face. And I know that I have to contribute to the noise. But I can be the good noise. The noise that brightens someone’s day or noise that God uses to show someone He see them and most of all the noise of the gospel. We all need to stand up and be the good noise of the good news in this world full of sound bites and ugliness. 
Our lives and our stories matter. Our gifts and our talents matter. You matter. I matter. We are bigger than the news and more cherished than any popular opinion might lead us to believe. The bible promises dark days, coming turmoil and despair. These are the trials that will purify our faith, each storm we exit one step closer to knowing the characteristics of God, who He is and how He loves us. And we always have to remember that He wins. He always wins. It’s not a secret, it’s the end of the story. The best part? We win too. We win because he loves us.
With Sara from Sincerely Sara D. and Katie from The Rustic Boxwood
So we have to be noisy, loud and clear to make sure that everyone knows the story of Jesus. So they can win too. We have to be noisy to drown out Satan and his lies. He wanted me to give up and give in. Maybe he has been whispering lies to you as well, hoping you’ll roll over and play dead. Don’t let him. Kick him to the curb sister. It’s a race against time friends, a fierce battle for life, for salvation, dark and stormy, never easy and totally worth it. 
This blog is a true gift to me, to be able to do what I love and serve God through it is nothing short of amazing. Sometimes the rain fogs the view and the storm has to pass to see clearly again. I am so thankful for the storm and it’s passing and thankful for each of you on this journey with me. I promise to bring fun projects and decorating ideas to you, with a hint of Christian inspiration along the way. I just had to explain my absence a little today, I hope you understand!
Again with Sara and Katie & also Toni from Design Dazzle
I’ve shared some personal pictures of the things I’ve been up to this past month, raising baby bunnies and heading to New York with my husband for a Miranda Lambert concert followed by a blogger meeting at the Hometalk headquarters in Manhattan. I got snowed in, which is a massive change from the flip flops I’ve been sporting in Texas! 
Meeting with wonderful blogging friends and the supportive team at Hometalk was a welcome drop in the perfect cleansing storm that helped get me back on track, it’s good to be surrounded by inspiring people. God’s storms are so kind and perfectly timed.
Let’s be noisy together, ok? I will see you later this week when I share a new favorite project!
Couldn’t sleep this early morning. Reached for phone and what a much needed “visit” from you with this post. I too have been in a funk! Thanks friend for your honesty and words of encouragement. Glad you are writing again. Let’s pray for each other. ????????
I love praying for you Di, so glad to visit with you today!!!
Thanks so much for your honesty. I have had a very similar feeling about social media and all of it’s cousins. Such negativity and harshness toward others. Thanks for helping me see I have a place there – to help balance things with “Good Noise” especially about what God is doing in our world!! Looking forward to your next post!
Thank you Nancy, We have to brave the big bad world of social media sometimes or else it would all be bad 🙂 so glad this encouraged you today
I am so glad to see you are back! You so eloquently write what so many of us struggle to say. I’m sorry that you were in a dark season but I can’t wait to see what you share! I know you’ve got some great stuff coming! Lunch soon?
It was so good to run into you! and yes, lunch for sure. thanks friend
so happy you are back, love your posts. We all need to be the “good noise” right now and pray for one another.
Thank you so much Kathy…yes, we have to pray for each other! We work better together!
I have missed your posts and am glad you are back. Thank you for sharing your journey. I, too, have wrestled with whether I should continue making “noise.” I may not reach the masses but if I only encourage one to seek Jesus more, well, that’s enough.
I couldn’t agree more Shelly, I prayed at least one person would benefit from posting today. You need to keep it up sister, I always enjoy your encouragement and funny stories!
Kim, I’m so glad that the Lord has given you a time to refresh and to be encouraged. You are truly making a difference in what you post. I missed you while you were gone. By the way, I like your new profile picture 🙂
This makes me feel so good, thank you so much
Thank you for your honesty. I have wanted to hide away and yet I know we are directed to stand firm in our conviction and speak out for the Lord. I have a renewed sense to drown out Satan’s noise
If we don’t drown him he will surely drown us! I always want to hide but eventually God won’t let me!!! You would think I would learn to not fight that urge :/ Blessings to you!
Thanks for this very well written post! Yes, we have to be the “good noise” and be bold for Christ so that others can hear.
It truly feel so burdened for others to know His peace right now! Thanks Dianne
You are truly a model of creativity in “our home is our hobby” as well as loving God and sharing the GOOD NOISE in our world. Thank you so much for what you do, and for COMING Back. We need you! And Adore you!
Wow, thank you for your encouragement and kind words. I was not expecting that anyone had even noticed the quiet over here except maybe my mom 🙂 I am only back by God’s grace. Thank you so dearly
Welcome back! You’ve been missed! So glad your clouds have lifted . . . I really appreciated your blog this morning. Your words of encouragement were needed, been in a bit of a blog funk as well. Time to be some Good Noise and I’m happy to chime in! 😉
Yay – chime away with me!!! Thank you so much and prayers that your funk will lift as well.
Woo hoo!!! Blessed by you words sweet sister xo
and I am blessed by you
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Let’s lock arms and be the “good noise!”
It’s a deal, I need partners! Thanks friend!
LOVE LOVE LOVE what you shared……I have felt just like you in all this chaos of our world. But I’m “stealing” your phrase and posting on my FB today…… BE THE GOOD NOISE! Thank you and welcome back.
Yay Toni! So glad you agree and please steal and share away, they are not my words to take!
Well THERE YOU ARE! I’d been lookin’ for you in my email through January and February……………The computer with a life of it’s own started putting many emails into junk starting in January & I was sure it had gotten you too, so I RE-signed up to get emails from Hunt and Host, but still it didn’t come……….until now. What a welcome surprise! Thank you for sharing (so eloquently) what was happening in your life with us, because you surely know you are much more than some anonymous person at an on line site. I would think all your followers think of you the way I do……….as a very affable friend. Sometimes it does take stepping away from something to realize how much you enjoyed (most parts) of it. More perspective I suppose. Then change the things you can- that aren’t working for you- and accept the things you can’t change.
I’m so glad your storm has lifted and you can enjoy smooth sparkling waters.
Nancy – I was going to e-mail you today! I got your message and was going to check and see that you got this post! So glad you did and it was probably my quiet not your e-mail that was messed up! Yes – I think of each of you as friends and I pray for you all. I do think time away was needed and you are so right, I will be moving forward with some things I enjoy and letting go of some things I don’t! It is such a blessing to have that freedom. Thank you for your encouragement and support! Have a great day!
Kim, saw this on my fb feed and popped over to catch up. Yes and amen! We need all the goodness more than ever. I’ve always loved your site! Keep up the good work. Your She Speaks sister. Xoxo
Hey Lisa! So good to see you, thank you for the encouragement!!! Thank you for coming by the blog too!
Glad you are back.
Keep letting His Light shine. The world needs Jesus. So glad that you were refreshed by the One who loves you so dearly!
He does love us so much!
Thank you so much 🙂
Hey Kim – we love the noise that you make! So glad that you are back and can’t wait to read more about you, your life and what you create!
love all you two wonderful ladies too, thanks friends!
I hope you found your mojo. I get the ‘noise’. It’s out there, and getting louder every day. We need to be salt and light. Bravo to you!
Thank you Anita, I am really feeling re-energized and it’s a great feeling. I know you understand!
Great post!! It was so nice meeting you at Hometalk!!!
Thanks Lindsay, it was so nice to meet you too. What a great trip we had!
I love this. And I love you.
love you too friend, thanks
Kim, you know that I’ve been struggling to post, too, and it culminated in the past couple weeks when I didn’t post at all – not even the shared link party. I’m writing my bloggiversary post – and an explanation post, myself. I love your refreshing post – and your sweet passion for God. Thank you for sharing your heart!
Thank you so much for writing this. You are a constant source of inspiration. I am in College Station and write a blog that combines DIY with Christian inspiration. So often, the enemy whispers in my ear, “why are you doing this? no one is reading it! this is such a waste of your time.” Thank you for the reminder that it has a purpose although I don’t always see it.
So glad spoke to you through this. The devil is a stinker. The truth is it doesn’t matter if anyone reads a word you write as long as you are obedient. God will take care of the rest. That is SO HARD for me to remember! Keep plugging away, you do a beautiful job and I know you are doing just what you are supposed to be!
The noise is just that, noise. The ugly people on social media are run by Satan. They don’t even realize that they are writing what he wants them to write, because they are too wrapped up in loving only themselves. Since the Lord is our shepherd, we’re on a very special trajectory. We live to show what God has done for us.
About a year ago after the realization that God gives us free will to follow him or not. I understood that a very close person was not coming back nor would I get to lavish God’s love on her children. Then one particularly bad day a song came on the car radio, “your life’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place, God’s place.
Listening to God when he speaks to us. Quiet prayer is when you can listen the best to Him
Jennie
Thank you so much for sharing Jennie, I agree, we have to listen to his voice alone and sometimes things don’t make sense but they are all things just falling into place. blessings
And…. you are a beautiful writer 🙂 Glad you are lead in the direction that makes you happy 🙂