Home decorating

This was two houses and about four years ago.

My Allergist had told me I needed to make a change upon hearing that I was dusting the double bookshelves in my room at least once a week.

“You shouldn’t be dusting, or vacuuming. Get someone else to do it. You can’t handle the dust.”

So, I prayed and felt I should search Craigslist for a piece of furniture to house our library.

This hutch was the solution and has housed our books ever since.

At the time I purchased this, it was the first time I’d been able to purchase a piece of furniture that felt like “me”.

Our years of marriage have been very blessed ones, but when we bought furniture it was more about the need than decorating our home.

Which I’m thankful for, because I have a bad tendency to charge ahead of the Lord, thinking I know best.

He has used the majority of our marriage to teach me how to make a home from what He gives, rather than what I believe is best.

When I purchased this hutch second- hand, I knew it was a gift from God.

Yesterday, as I was working on one of our other pieces of furniture, I realized God has allowed me to decorate this home to exactly my tastes.

Our second daughter even stated, at her first visit, “It looks like you, Mom.”

Although, I hadn’t really thought about it, this is the first time in our marriage that I’ve been able to decorate our entire house with things I love.

All of which were things on hand, except a few curtains.

For the past few years we’ve been blessed by the Lord with furniture, artwork, photographs, and dishes.

The chalkboard we made from Anne’s old dresser mirror hangs in the homeschooling corner.

The cake stand I purchased for Sis’s baby shower sits on top of the kitchen cabinets.

The photo of my father and father-in-law sitting side-by-side, each holding a grandchild (Dad is holding Sis and Papa our nephew who was killed at 19) hangs in my front room.

I can look around our home and see memories, loved ones, and the goodness of God.

If you read a few home decorating articles, you’ll see something referring to a “gathered over time” look.

That’s a perfect description of our home and throughout these gathered items, woven into our family’s story is the faithfulness of God, the love of Jesus Christ.

I’m a bit ashamed of myself and all the times, especially when we were first married, I whined to the Lord about not being able to decorate.

If I’d only been patient, gracious, and thankful for what God had provided.

Yet, I know the Lord has forgiven my folly and in exchange blessed me with a far greater gift than stuff.

He’s taught me to wait upon Him.

Isaiah 40:31 KJV — But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for providing for me in so many ways. Lord, I realize there are many in this world who hunger, they sleep cold, they are in extreme need. Lord, I know You see every single one and You love them. Lord, please continue to supply the needs of those in want. Lead them to Yourself and cloth them in salvation. Lord, there is nothing as important as eternity with You. Our petty grievances are temporary and our struggles are short compared to the wonders of Your salvation and the blessings of what You have prepared for those who love You. Lord, thank You for all Your blessings, down to the warm socks on my feet. Thank You for supplying our family with so much, please teach us to be good stewards. Please help us to glorify You with these things, for they all belong to You. Lord, if You were to take everything away tomorrow, may I be thankful and praise You. For this world is temporary and I want to live every day with joy and thanksgiving for You are worthy of all praise. My life is Yours, guide me in Your will that I might bring glory to Your name. Amen

Perseverance

Sometimes, I need a lesson in perseverance.

Recently, God used one of our furniture projects to teach me more about persevering.

It started off really well.

I was excited at how quickly I was able to update this table.

The chairs were another story.

It seemed everything was troublesome.

The table sat waiting for me to get the chairs finished.

Unfortunately, while waiting it was blocking a portion of the garage.

So, things got placed on it when we were trying to access the storage beyond it.

Which eventually led to a large scratch across the top of the table.

The person who accidentally caused the mark was really upset with themselves.

I wasn’t too thrilled either, but upon hearing how it happened it was understandable.

We went out together to look it over.

God allowed that scratch to show me the polyurethane had gone bad.

It was peeling back off the table from both sides of the scratch, definitely not a good thing.

So, we hauled the table back to the shop for it to be sanded down again.

Afterwards, I repainted it with a “weathered” appearance, liking it better than before.

I was excited when I put the polyurethane on, until it began to dry.

The hated yellow of bleed-through began to show.

All the extra sanding had allowed the stained wood to seep through into the whitewashed top.

I can’t express how terrible it looked, and I didn’t take a picture.

“Well, the polyurethane will have to be sanded off again,” I stated through my disappointment.

Our son grimaced, since that is his job, and it would be the third time he’d have to sand the same project.

I didn’t blame him, I was frowning, and on the inside, I felt like crying.

“I need to walk away,” I stated as gently as possible to our son. “I’m really sorry this has been so tough.”

(I love how God uses our children in our lives.)

He shrugged it off and smiled at me.

“It’ll be okay, Mom”

I needed that and walked over to give him a hug.

Not only did he sand it off, but he also put the primer on, because Shellac is the only thing that deals with bleed-through and I can’t handle the odor.

We carried it back to the garage and I painted it with multiple coats of paint and then polyurethane from a brand new can.

I’d finished painting the chairs, but hadn’t been able to get the seats recovered.

Handsome, (my husband’s nickname) pulled all the staples, but I had to wait to get the fabric cut.

Jase and I tackled the project the next day and since we were recovering those two chairs, I figured we’d do a third for a different dining set.

I cut the fabric and got the chair seats recovered.

We walked these to the garage to place them on the chairs.

We both stared at the gray chairs with the new gray and white fabric.

It looked terrible.

Somehow, the shade on the fabric made the shade on the chair look old and dingy.

I grabbed the other seat we had done in a different fabric for another dining set and placed it on the chair.

“Yeah, Mom, that works.”

I smiled a little ruefully, since I knew switching the fabrics meant undoing all the work we’d just done.

But, it was for the best, because when looking for backing fabric, I found another upholstery fabric which looked better on than the gray and white on the second dining set.

And after some prayer, I realized why God allowed it all.

Four of our own dining room chairs needed to be recovered and the gray and white fabric looks great!

My heart is full of gratitude, for the Lord’s patient lessons, especially when I’m struggling with understanding.

In circumstances like these, when I don’t understand, is where my faith grows the most.

Praise God!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your patience. Thank You for this lesson in Persephone. Lord, I know there are people throughout history who have endured far greater trials and walked with perseverance. Thank You for them and their testimonies. Thank You for how You use the little things as well as the big ones in my life. Lord, as I step into today, I humbly request Your guidance. Lord, I’m struggling with fear and I know that’s not Your will for me. Thank You for all You are doing and for calming my anxiety. Thank You for teaching me to rest in You while being diligent, preserving through thick and thin. How I love You, Lord! Thank You for first loving me. Amen.

The pie hutch

I’ve loved this from the first time I saw it.

It’s one of the “leftover” pieces from our used furniture business.

When we first saw the house we are moving to I noticed it didn’t have a pantry.

Handsome and I discussed it and he had a wonderful idea.

“What about the pie hutch?”

So, instead of flipping it, I painted it and we brought it inside.

I began shopping thrift stores for canisters.

You can see my collection in my white wood box.

They fit nicely on the bottom shelf and with some other glass canisters and baskets the pie hutch worked beautifully.

Then, we got the keys and realized we needed to gut the kitchen.

When, we had the plans for the kitchen done, I didn’t factor in my hutch.

I hadn’t forgotten it, but trying to work around it was going to cost us.

So, I left it out and told the Lord I’d do whatever He directed.

Last time our daughter and I walked the house we discussed the placement of my furniture.

Although, I feel I know where most things are going, I’ve continued to pray about the pie hutch.

Where should it go?

What should be it’s primary function?

I’d like it in the dining room, but will it fit?

As I was packing up the kitchen today I began to pray about the hutch again.

I began with telling the Lord it is His and I’m willing to do whatever He directs.

As I began to pack up our mugs a thought ran through my mind.

What about a beverage center?

I suddenly could see our mugs lined up on the top shelf and my husband’s mini coffee maker sitting on the shelf above the drawers.

I thought about the possibility of adding breakfast stuff, cereal and muffins would fit nicely in my glass containers…

Then, I stopped.

“Lord, whatever this ends up being used for, I thank You for it.”

In my heart I went on to praise God for His blessings in so many things throughout all of this.

I’m excited to see if this will work in our dining room.

Whether or not we use it for beverages and breakfast, I am thankful to God for His guidance.

I know He is leading us every step of the way.

Psalm 18:32 KJV — It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for using something as unimportant as furniture to encourage my heart, today. Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness and guidance as we walk each day with You. Lord, thank You for the strength to do things. Please give me the wisdom and discernment to know what things to use my energy on and how to go about the things which need to be done. Lord, all of this belongs to You. My life is Yours. Thank You for giving so much to us. I praise Your holy name, Jesus! Amen.

$10

This was my Christmas present from Jase.

He and I saw it at the Goodwill.

We’d run into town one morning, because his last pair of pants had a hole.

We are praising God for his growth, he’s actually been changing sizes pretty regularly!

However, it means we have moments where he’s out of clothes.

I’d taken him to a department store first, only to discover they don’t carry children/youth sizes.

We chatted about what to do as we headed to the car.

We agreed to try Goodwill next.

Not only did the Lord bless us with two pairs of pants for him, he bought me this little end table.

When we’ve had time, we’ve been working on it.

He does the sanding and I do the painting.

My husband already promised to do the top coat since I can’t handle that.

Today, we hope to get it finished.

Then, it will go up for sale in our booth.

Jase and I are excited to see the end product and hopefully it will go from someone’s very warn, no longer wanted furniture, to a useful and attractive piece.

Because it’s actually not in bad shape at all.

It was made well of good material (solid oak) and it has a lot more years of service left in it.

Infact, it feels like an opportunity to turn this $10 table into something someone will use and enjoy.

Most of all it reminds me of Jesus.

When God made the world it was good.

Well made, of good materials.

Then sin entered, by the choice of mankind, and the human race has become scared and ugly and often times feels unwanted, unloved, warn out…

but Jesus!

He’s work cleans and refurbishes our broken weary soul.

He’s carpenter hands know exactly what each heart requires to be restored.

And He’s never “finished” caring for each one.

We are never put up for sale.

God bought us with His Son’s blood on the cross and we are His cherished possession.

In fact, He’s continually working on the heart, polishing and removing the stains of sin, death, hurt.

Sometimes it’s rough, like sandpaper over our soul, but it’s always good.

His ways are perfect and He knows what is required to bring our hearts into a beautifully restored creation He intended from the beginning.

I’m so thankful to Him.

Thankful He paid such a high price for me.

Thankful He is working on my heart.

Thankful for all the seasons, including the rough ones.

Thankful for His gracious and enduring love and patience.

It’s wonderful.

He’s the one who is patiently hopeful.

He’s patiently restoring my heart and He has confident expectation that His work will be completed.

Praise God!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for all You have done and are doing in my life and in the lives of others. Lord Jesus, each day is a new gift, full of opportunities to love You and love others. Lord, please forgive me for allowing circumstances to cause me grief and fear. Thank You for reminding me that each day is worth living, just because You live! I love You, Jesus. Amen.

Sometimes…I think we might be…

crazy.

It’s not the first time nor do I expect it to be the last.

But about a month ago my husband surprised me.

He called me from work to say, he’d purchased some furniture.

I didn’t know what to say.

Although, I happen to love furniture and I find refurbishing furniture really fun, I wasn’t expecting this.

If anyone knows my hubby, they can tell you he’s one of those guys who does things.

He’s rarely (if ever) hindered by indecision.

He can make choices and move forward into change far better than I.

This was one of those moments.

He explained that he’d been praying.

With my health, I’m really restricted to what I’m able to do.

So, he’d been praying for something we could do together.

We have been praying as a couple for opportunities to teach our son new skills and to that end my husband has been doing some woodworking with Jase on the weekends.

The other thing he’d been praying about is our desire for missions.

We want people to hear about Jesus, both here and around the world.

Since our family won’t be traveling, we’ve been praying for any opportunities to use our talents to spread the gospel.

The purchase of furniture was the action upon our heart’s desire.

We’ve decided to redo furniture and sell it.

Our focus is to make money for missions.

Of course, we are going to sell anything we can in this endeavor and be as wise as possible with our purchases.

It’s already given our family lots to do.

We’ve spent hours cleaning and researching various things.

We’ve prayed extensively about the best way to handle this.

Along with the furniture, we also got home furnishings and so we’ve opened a booth on Bonanza.

My husband’s idea was to name it Hope’s Treasure Chests Booth.

(He loves the play on words and of course, he loves me so…)

But the name for the spreadsheet is Matthew 19:21.

Because that is why we are doing this.

Although, doing this seems crazy, I know that God is the reason we are.

Therefore, I can trust Him with the results.

May He be glorified in us today!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for stretching me. Thank You for teaching me how to take baby steps as I learn to do something new. Lord, You alone are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. Please help us to hear You clearly, to see Your plans, to obey You in all things. For we do not want to waste a moment, but we want to live unto You alone. Thank You for all Your blessings. We praise Your holy name, Jesus. Amen.

Remade

After Anne had worked so hard on her furniture, Dad and Tim moved it in.

Of course they had to move out her old dresser.

Sis and I stood out on the front lawn watching them move the furniture.

I couldn’t help looking at Anne’s old dresser.

It had been very used when I got it, many years ago.

Looking at it reminded me of the sequence of events.

We were preparing to move and I knew Sis would need a bed, as the bunk bed wasn’t going to fit in the new space.

It was one of those “just happened to” moments.

It was the weekend of our church’s children’s camp and our whole family was busy at the camp.

I can’t remember why, but I’d driven to my Mom’s house, where we’d been staying, and one of her neighbors was having a yard sale.

Although I didn’t have lots of time I swung in.

They had a bed and a nice bookcase.

I bought them on the spot as the price was very reasonable.

When we returned later with the truck the lady explained that she forgot to tell me about a dresser.

“It goes with the bed.”

It needed painting and I knew I wasn’t going to get to it, but I also knew Anne would love it.

And she has, although it’s lost handles and turned out to be fairly cheaply made.

As all these memories ran through my brain I said aloud, “I kind of hate to get rid of this. I never got to redo it for Anne.”

Sis nodded.

“You know the mirror is really cool. It would make a really great chalkboard!”

I hadn’t thought of that, but she was right.

When the guys came over we mentioned it to them and they agreed.

The next day I took a little time and took the mirror apart.

When I showed my husband he was very receptive.

He drove to the store and bought paint and the board we would need.

He and Jase cut it to fit.

He primed it for me.

The next few days I worked on it as I had time.

One day after work, my husband put it all back together.

It’s just waiting for us to hang it.

Yesterday, in between teaching and cooking I put our memory verse on it.

I didn’t have time to make it fancy, but I love the chalkboard.

It’s definitely a remade item we will all enjoy.

I love how God does things.

He used this furniture to provide for a need and now as a family project we will all enjoy.

And although we remade the mirror into a unique chalkboard, it’s nothing compared to the way He is remaking me.

Through His Word and His patient instruction, I’m being remade.

I love having this chalkboard as a daily reminder to His work in me.

And it’s a journey we can all enjoy.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your patience. Thank You for this little project. I know You are doing so much more than we can possibly understand, thank You! Lord, no matter what tomorrow brings, please continue to remake me into Your likeness. Please continue to hone my heart, that I might reflect You more each day. Lord, I love You. Thank You for first loving me. Amen.