Possessions

 Proverbs 15:27 

He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; 

but he that hateth gifts shall live.

The writer of Proverbs gives so many examples of ways to tear down a home.

In this Proverb, he reminds us that our view of possessions is a factor.

How do you view possessions?

Are you always seeking more?

Are you always seeking to have the best?

Do you compare yourself with others?

OR

Are you a giver?

Do you seek to bless others?

Do you view your possessions as a way to minister to others?

Troubling your home? or Building your home?

Cabinets and Curtains

From This ...

 

To This ...

There were about 5 different woods showing - now, all unified.

The stove hood is down for cleaning and a repaint in black.

And Some of the Curtains ... in their place.

not the best quality photos - poor lighting

I have a full day in the new house today ...

no lawn to mow (did that yesterday),

no piano lessons,

no errands,

and hubby is working overtime tonight.

Moving Date

Well, we are off of baby watch.

I was absent from the blogosphere on Thursday and Friday

because I had 3 children in my care.

We had a good little visit and survived each other.

It is an adjustment on both parts ...

I am not used to voices all day long,

and they are not used to different house rules.

The new baby arrived Friday morning and is safe and sound at home.

With the business trips, tract projects, Hebrew projects, and the extra children behind us,

we took stock of where we were in the house prep on Saturday.

Our original goal was August 1, but we have now chosen August 10 for the official move date.

We are actually moving a little each day into completed rooms,

but the final push will be that day.  

My goal is to be settled before our Anniversary in mid-August.

It is perfectly do-able and we may be in sooner.

Today, I need to fill out paperwork to get water and natural gas turned on.

A Humble Dwelling

Proverbs 15:25 

The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: 

but he will establish the border of the widow.

While the blog title might be deceptive,

it can be taken two ways.

The Lord is looking, not for a small, lowly dwelling with simple furnishings,

but for the household that is trusting in and leaning on Him.

He is looking for those without pride who recognize that everything comes from Him ...

... the house, the food, the furnishings, the life inside.

Who better to exemplify this than the widow?

Hopefully, the writer could have included you or me in his example.

Did you thank God for His provisions today?

Are you relying on Him only to meet your needs.

Storage

One of the blessings of our new home

is the large shed in the back.

It was the first thing that we moved into.

I told hubby from the start that I wanted to limit the "storage" inside

and keep most of our extra things in the shed.

In NY, we rented additional storage.

In WA, we had a closet that covered the whole wall in 2 rooms filled with storage.

In NC, we have "hidden" our totes and boxes behind a curtain in a little alcove.

Not this time.

Yesterday, I spent the morning emptying some of my hiding places 

and moving some things in the "grandpa" room

and the workout room.

Today, I do the first coat on my cabinets ...

Published

Yearly we distribute tracts at an Apple Festival just north of us.

We also have a booth at the County Fair.

This tract was specifically written for those two occasions.

Good to be Home

Oh, it is always good to get home.

I certainly sleep better when I am home.

And my diet fares better when I am in my own kitchen. 

We arrived home Friday to more mowing.   

It has certainly been an exceptional summer.

I think that I could still be mowing every 5 days here at the end of July.

The problem is that it is hard to mow every 5 days while it is so WET!

The plan this week in the new trailer is to refinish the cabinets.

Once that is finished, there is only one more damaged wall to repair before move in.

We may be delayed because we are on "baby watch" this week.

... not the London watch for royalty,

... but a church family.

We will have 3 children for a little bit when their baby brother decides to make an appearance,

at least until their grandma arrives. 

Busy days ...

Mobile Office

This week, I am thankful for the ability to take my work with me.

Last week, we found out that hubby was being sent to Raleigh on a business trip.

Not exactly what I was planning as I pushed toward moving day.

There were still cabinets to refinish and the master bedroom to work on.

But...

the schooling had to be completed.

So, I packed up the computer and the sewing machine.

While hubby was in school,

I set up an office in the motel room.

I worked on 9 valances,

and a new gospel tract,

and some compare files for a translation of a Hebrew New Testament.

All of these things had to be completed and were also competing for my time.

Now they had my undivided attention.

 

Living/Dining/Kitchen Valance - Reversible, Just lays over curtain rod.



Guest rooms - Lined Valances

I was doubting my decision to make my own valances.

Was the cost of the fabric worth it?

The end results, convinced me that I made the right choice.

For the cost of the "cheapies" at Walmart,

I got the colors that I wanted,

and lined, quality valances.

 

All 9 valances were competed as well as some curtains for hiding storage areas.

The tract was finalized.

And - only 5 chapters of compare files to go!

 

I am also thankful that hubby was sent to Raleigh,

and not Ohio,

which meant that I could tag along.

 

And on this July 19th,

I am thankful for my hubby.

It is his 34th birthday today.

So thankful to God for his life

and for bringing us together.

 



Feeding on Love

Proverbs 15:17 

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, 

than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

One more time, the writer of the book of Proverbs

reminds us of the things that should truly be valued in a home.

~ ~ ~ Love ~ ~ ~

It is better to be have lean meals

and share them with love,

then to have full cupboards

with the lack of love.

Are you cultivating love in your home?

Make it a goal today!

Reveal: Countertop Transformations

One of our most exciting changes at our new home is the countertops.

Rustoleum has a product that "transforms" countertops.

It is a pricey product - 

in fact, hubby asked if it would not be cheaper to buy new counters.

But ... the benefit is that 

1 - it looks better than the cheapest laminate - a faux granite

2 - we could make a new counter out of wood that would match the old counter

We prepped the counters last Thursday.

On Friday night, we put down a thick layer of base paint and covered it with "decorative chips."

On Saturday, hubby sanded for 2 hours and we patched any thin places.

On Saturday night, I covered with the protective top coat.

On Monday, I removed the drop cloths, tape, and MESS!

The old blue laminate was stained and had some patched drill holes.

The new countertop is Desert Sand.

Notice the drawer with the missing face.

Here the drawer is repaired.

The kitchen needed more cabinetry and counter -
a place for microwave to sit.
These are wall cabinets set on floor with a wood countertop (covered with Transformations)

close-up of the counter

The next big project is "Cabinet Transformations."

The color: Espresso - a deep brown.

This will make the old cabinets, the new drawer face,

and the new cabinets match.

 ***** UPDATE *****

After 3 years,

the verdict is complete on the countertops.

While they were beautiful,

the stone looked good,

the colors were lovely,

a lot nicer than a plain laminate ...

the coating was not thick enough and they chipped.

If they had a thicker, stronger coating they would be great.

Busy Weekend

Hubby had this weekend off

and we got a lot accomplished on the house.

The blue, flat, laminate counters have disappeared.

Tomorrow you can see the end product - after I clean up!

 I finished painting the guest bathroom.

It was a sunshiny yellow - now a fun stripe!

My folks allowed me to use this process in their new home

about 13 years ago.

Hubby says I have more patience then he does,

but is pleased with the results.

This is definitely the project for a SMALL room. 

The walls have some "issues" due to years of hanging various cabinets and racks.

I repaired the walls as best I could

and the stripes draw attention away from the blemishes that still remain.

It is tedious to tape for this project ...

... but I love the results!
I can't show the whole bathroom,
because the vanity is still mint green :)

Hubby replaced 10 electrical outlets.   

Only 2 left to change - they were buried under plastic sheeting for the counter work.

Many old trailers have unique wall outlets and switches.

Once removed for painting, they don't often go back in well.

I love the clean, white plates throughout the house.

The appliances were delivered.

This week ... Valances for the whole house!

Fresh Starts

Today I am thankful for all that has been accomplished in our new home.

It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint does to a home.

The joy of a fresh start.

Clean floors, clean ceilings, new paint, clean cupboards ...

I am thankful that hubby and I will start refinishing the countertops tonight.  

They should be finished by Saturday night.

It is a long process, but we are excited of what should result.

Don't worry!

I will show you before and after pictures next Tuesday.

I am also thankful for a larger shed.

We emptied our little shed two weeks ago,

but I moved totes,

and canning jars,

and moving boxes

earlier this week.

I love having some of the mess out of the house.

We even have plans to put the deep freeze in the shed!

Perspective

Proverbs 15:16 

Better is little with the fear of the LORD 

than great treasure and trouble therewith.

One of the biggest struggles is contentment.

It is easy to compare my life to the lives of others.

The problem with envy and jealousy is that it is sin

AND I do not always know the whole story.

The wise writer of Proverbs reminds me 

that the greatest treasure is the fear of the Lord.

Troubles can often be masked by treasures or possessions.

So be content ...

stop comparing ...

and develop that proper relationship with the Lord

that provides the greatest treasure.

What makes it home?

My dad worked for IBM while I was growing up.

To many families, "IBM" stood for "I've Been Moved."

We did our fair share of moving.

On one of the moves,

the comment was made 

that as soon as the "lions" were hung 

(a tapestry that dad brought back from his time overseas)

then the new house was "home."

I think that I will have a similar tradition.

I purchased my wall verse last week

and am itching to put it up. 

It will be "home" when it is on the wall.

Hit it Again!

We had our big purchase for home renovations on Thursday.

We are so thankful for discount gift cards

and the veterans discount

and a good holiday sale 

which allowed us to save 15-20% on the whole purchase.

And so it is time to hit it again. 

The high humidity and a funeral slowed the painting projects,

but hopefully this week will be better.

Hubby has finished trimming some closets and doors for me.

One faucet has been changed.

The materials to "transform" the counter tops have arrived.

There are two walls that are slowly being repaired.

Exciting Days!

Freedom and Rain

On the fourth of July,

one cannot help but be thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy.

Freedom to speak,

freedom to worship ... 

I am thankful for those throughout America's 237 years

who have given of life, time, and personal freedom

to maintain the freedoms that I enjoy.

I am also thankful for this particularly wet summer.

It has been busy around here,

and the regular rains have saved time and resources

by keeping the gardens and potted plants watered.

Saves me nearly an hour every day.

What a blessing!

I am also thankful for a profitable trip to Lowe's today.

We nearly finished off the purchases

and are still within budget!

What's in Your House?

Proverbs 15:6 

In the house of the righteous is much treasure: 

but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

My mind is much on houses,

decorations,

furniture,

...

I enjoyed shopping for valance fabric yesterday

and am enjoying the way paint changes a room.

Fitting that God should remind me this week of what is most important.

The treasure in the house of the righteous is the fear of the Lord.

Creating a home,

molding an environment,

making a place to meet the needs of others

are all a key part of a woman's makeup,

but it should not be at the expense of my relationship with God.

It is a godly home and environment

that outshines any physical building or possessions.

Unique to Me

It probably does not happen too often,

but it does happen ...

when you know the former owners of the house that you purchase or inherit.

The home may be beautiful,

but it is hard to lose the title "__ and __'s" house.

You have to make it your own.

Since we bought a trailer in our neighborhood,

we are in that situation.

Thus the total makeover.

The process is time consuming,

but will be worth it.

Only one bathroom, 3 closets, and the laundry room left to paint.

I ordered the materials to refinish the counter and cabinets today.

We are most excited about that upcoming change.

Unfortunately, it will probably be one of the last changes that you get to see.

We have a big trip to Lowes planned for Thursday - 

10% off for Veterans on the 4th.

I am headed to JoAnns today - 

20% off this week for veterans and dependents.

Are you itching to see some progress?

One of the first changes I made was to remove the tinting from the front windows.

While it is great for helping to cool the house,

it was old, distorted my view,

and a little too dark for my taste.

Hubby repaired 5 screens last night.

Must keep out the NC critters!

The shed was missing some trim and the stairs were falling apart.

Now it is all trimmed with strong stairs!

Looks like some trick photography to make the "after" picture look brighter :)

See the hole in the siding?

Caused by a constant drip from a leaking gutter.

Hubby fixed the gutter and we patched the hole with a trim strip the length of the porch.

I want to find the right color to paint the patch strip blue,

but at least the hole will not continue to grow.

With the lighting, it is hard to see the colors - 

but the change is from blue to horseradish (clay-like).

This will be the "grandpa" room - 

When the final pictures are posted,

you will see why.

Here is the living room.

It was a pretty Sesame Tahini ...

now it is Celery Root.

I am loving the Pergo flooring. 

 

 

This is the catch-all right now.

Covered with paints, cleaners, and tools!

Plugging Away

Hubby and I spent Saturday working outside.

He repaired some gutters,

retrimmed the shed,

built new shed steps,

and patched a hole in the exterior.

I worked on weed control - 

on the driveway,

walkways,

and flower beds.

Today,

hubby will be doing some electrical troubleshooting

and I am back to the painting ...

the guest bathroom today.