Evolve U

Extreme Home Makeover

23rd December, 2009 - Posted by Shaunice Hawkins - 1 Comment

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for deserving families, hosted by Ty Pennington on Sunday evenings on ABC.  Each episode features a family that has faced a recent or ongoing hardship (e.g. natural disaster, family member with a life-threatening illness, good-hearted couple adopting disabled children). The show’s producers coordinate with a local construction contractor and various building trade companies for a makeover of the family’s home (interior, exterior and landscaping).  The house, generally  beyond repair, is replaced entirely with a new one built with donated labor and materials. The makeover is performed over the course of seven days while the family is on an all expense-paid vacation.  

Given all that you’ve suffered through this year (and perhaps are still going through), you, too, deserve an extreme home makeover; one that involves construction on the interior, exterior and landscaping of your physiological house – your spirit, soul and mind.   

This makeover is hosted by our Creator. He has seen the hardship in your life – loss of job, home, finances, self-esteem, self-worth, hope  - and believes that you are deserving enough to receive a home renovation. God wants to release you from life’s high interest mortgage (unemployment, heartbreak, stress), nagging debt (foreclosure, financial loss) and rising interest (hopelessness, despair, depression).  He wants to renew, restore and refurbish your troubled mind, heavy heart and downtrodden spirit.

As the master architect, He holds the blueprint. He’s drawn new floor plans to expand your borders, extend your reach, broaden your horizons and give you relief. He wants to add a new room or two, redecorate and refurnish to prepare you for the great things to come…but first, a few walls have to be knocked down.

• Bedroom (your most intimate relationship) – You are stuck in a loveless relationship…with yourself.  You constantly doubt yourself and your abilities.  You beat yourself up over the most minute decisions. You consistently undervalue your influence.  Even worse, you don’t know how to like, let alone, love “you”.  When was the last time you gave yourself a genuine compliment (not a pep talk, nor esteem booster)?  When was the last time you looked in the mirror and smiled (from the heart) at what you saw? You are missing out on the most fulfilling aspects of your life because you can’t/don’t/won’t value all of you and who you are.  When you learn how to love and appreciate “you” and speak/interpret/translate your personal love language (the way each of us gives and receives love), then you will understand that you are worthy of all that you have been blessed with and more.  You will also find that you will be more open to receiving love from others as well.  Knock down the walls of self-disdain and lay the foundation of self-worth.

 

• Dining Room (your social life) – In an age where it’s fashionable to “friend” every person you know, it’s important to understand that everyone is not your friend.  A true friend is “a person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty; a person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; one who supports, sympathizes with and advocates for”.  You might be a true friend to your friends but is the relationship reciprocal? Think carefully of those you socialize with, those who text and instant message you, those who are always there when the good times are rolling.  Ask yourself who would be in your corner to support, sympathize and advocate for you should your financial, housing, employment, relationship and/or social status change.  If you have those in your life that only seem to be with you when things are going well, perhaps you need to rethink the terms of your friendship. You can’t play host, philanthropist, psychologist, chauffeur, etc. all the time.  Allow your friends to step up and show you the same kindness. 

 

• Kitchen (your health and mental welfare) – Your body is your temple and God desires for your temple to be strong, sound and healthy. It’s a given that life comes with its own set of worries and frustrations however it’s in your best interest not to add preventable stresses to it. If you are stressed out and must snack, eat the right types of food (fruits and vegetables). If you find that you are more on edge than usual, cut back on caffeine and get more rest. If you are sad and depressed, seek professional and/or spiritual counseling. If you feel alone, call a friend and go out for walk or catch a movie.  Whatever the stressor, never allow it to consume every aspect of your life nor give it license to put your mental and physical well-being at risk.  You only get one life, one mind, one body and one spirit.  Take care of them and they will take care of you.

 

• Living Room/Family Room/Den (your family life) – Everyone knows that you can’t pick your family however, you can choose how you deal with them.  Each time you give free reign to family members whose actions prove toxic (“emotional bullies”), you enable them to abuse you over and over again thus perpetuating a cycle of dysfunction.  Learn to let go of the lies, blame, criticism and hostility pointed towards you.  Set boundaries to cut off their “all access pass” to you.  Maintain a safe emotional and social distance by interacting with them on your terms, not theirs.  Tear down your living room/family room/den of toxicity and free your mind from this type of familial stress and anxiety.

 

• Closets, Attic & Garage (your hidden things) -   Closets, attics and garages are the best places for storing memorabilia.  Properly used, they are private, enclosed and isolated areas used to temporarily house and retain personal items.  These items are generally accessible and can be retrieved as frequently as desired. A problem often occurs when these areas are improperly used to permanently harbor odds and ends that aren’t (for one reason or another) discarded. Eventually, those hidden things will resurface.  The more you hide, the more clutter you build.  The more clutter you build, the more disorganized you become. The more disorganized you become, the less control you have.  The less control you have, the more chaotic life will become. Overstuffed closets, attics and garages need to be cleaned out regularly.  Release those stale emotions, feelings and attitudes you’ve held onto for so long; they are only doing you a disservice.

As the end of 2009 draws to a close, leave that old house with its cracks, creaks and leaks.  A new dawn breaks just over the 2010 horizon.   Get ready to move into your newly expanded home.  It’s time to start feeling good again because God’s got some great things in store for you.

 

FINAL THOUGHT

“FEELING GOOD”
Lyrics by Nina Simone
Sung by Michael Bublé

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Reeds driftin’ on by you know how I feel

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom in the tree you know how I feel

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you know
Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That’s what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel