KEYS

Can you believe the end of October is upon us? It will soon be a year that I've been working on this house. Since the day I discovered it, began to explore the possibility of owning it, then purchasing it and renovating it...what a journey of transformation it has been. And it is not only the house that has changed, I have learned through these changes as well.

Last week we had a small group of persons come and pray with us throughout the rooms in this house. We invited God to lead us and show us how he might want to use this property. It is His house and I am so grateful to be the caretaker and steward of this house. 

This is the front entry.

Lift up your heads O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty...Psalm 24:7-10 

 I hung some keys here. They were found in the house so I figured they belong here. 

May the Lord bless this house to be a place where people's hearts are unlocked; where they are handed the keys to the kingdom of God; where they encounter who they are in Christ.

It was an encouraging time with friends learning what is on God's heart for this house. These keys will always remind me to search for the important things in life. The key to life is not found in possessions, but in friends and listening to what God wants. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. 

Keith and I are having fun watching and waiting to see how the future unfolds for us in this house. We have already been honored to host many people here for a visit, a meal or for discipleship. We trust that he will give us, and others who visit, the keys to understanding more about a loving faithful Daddy God. We are grateful.

...on another note, take a look at a few more pictures. I spent last weekend purchasing, sewing and hanging curtains in several rooms. They make the rooms feel softer and more inviting. I had to get a little creative. The windows are larger than average and the cost of simply going out to purchase custom-made draperies is phenomenal. So I thought I'd share some of my "secrets" for curtains-on-a-budget...

In the dining room...I bought 2 matching tablecloths ($9.99 each) and hung them on a rod with rings. No hemming or sewing required. I actually like the look.

In the guest room...I wanted to soften the hard angles of the bay window. The curtain rod is one long rod with two flexible pieces you can adjust to bend to the angle you have. I simply put six sheer panels on the rod and hung them. Simple and easy but it really softens to feel of the room.

The kitchen had three windows; each one was a different size and height. In order to make it appear balanced, I hung curtain rods the same height all the way around. Now your eye doesn't get confused and it's more restful. A typical window valance was way too short; I needed one twice the length. Buying fabric and making them would be easy but too expensive. I discovered some tier cafe curtains for $6.99 a pair. They are really intended to be hung in the lower half of a window, but they were the perfect length for these long windows.

In the living room I wanted to add some color to the tans and browns already there. Again, purchasing a length of fabric to make custom curtains would have been expensive. (I needed 8 yards per window x 3 windows = 24 yards at about $12-$15/yard!) I was on a major hunt for a bargain. Eventually I found the perfect thing at the amazing price of $9.99 a panel. Because the panels weren't long enough, I simply bought two extra panels and used them to add length to the others.

Here's what I learned while doing interior design for this house so far...Don't give up if you're looking for something particular. Keep searching. You will eventually find just the right thing...it will be the KEY to making it all work together.