PROVISION

My mind has been more keenly aware recently of God's PROVISION. Many times as I bow my head to pray, my heart is filled with gratitude for his PROVISION. He provides all I need in so many ways. He is teaching me to simply say "thank you" and receive things from his hands; my food, finances, material things, safety, friendships...everything.

The journey with the house renovation has also put me in a place where I must look for His PROVISION every day. The project has been much larger than we ever expected and I want to go on record saying that He has provided all our needs along the way. In this final week before we hope to live in the house, there are so very many details that have to be coordinated. It is actually quite overwhelming when we make daily task lists and when we walk throughout the house assessing jobs that still need to be completed.

Today, I was reminded of Moses and the people of Israel as they were standing between the threat of Pharaoh's army and the Great Sea. They were caught...wrestling with thoughts of why they ever left the comforts of Egypt in the first place, fighting fears of being killed by the enemy or drowned in the sea. They were powerless. But the Lord spoke..."Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13-14)

An email from a friend brought similar encouragement this morning... "Relax and let me lead you through this day. I have everything under control; My control. You tend to peer anxiously into the day that is before you, trying to figure out what to do and when. Meanwhile, the phone or the doorbell rings, and you have to reshuffle your plans. All the planning ties you up in knots and distracts you from Me. Attentiveness to Me is not only for your quiet time, but for all your time. As you look to Me, I show you what to do now and next. Vast qualities of time and energy  are wasted in obsessive planning. When you let Me direct your steps, you are set free to enjoy Me and to find what I have prepared for you this day."

We are trusting God to provide for us as we face the unknown...we need to move out of our current house by noon on Friday. An inspector has to give us a "certificate of occupancy" before we can move into the newly renovated house in Lancaster. To date, our general contractor feels encouraged and hopeful that work on the house is progressing in such a way that we will be able to move into the house this weekend. 

I am thankful for God's PROVISION of grace today; grace to face whatever situation comes my way. God is faithful. He will make PROVISION. I need only to stand firm and still because He will fight for me.

Here's a peek at where things are in the renovations...

Electricians installing lights

Plumbing fixtures are appearing

Bathrooms are taking shape

Trim is being put around windows and flooring

Appliances installed

the master bath has a tub....

...and a shower

Powder room!

radiators are cleaned and painted awaiting installation

WALKING

It has been entirely too long since I've written. I'm so glad for a few minutes this morning to share a few thoughts that have been processing in my mind...and I'm excited to show you more pictures of how renovations are progressing at the house. 

I was really looking forward to taking our morning walk the other day. Several things had interrupted this routine in the past days and I realized that it is during our morning walk that Keith and I can talk, pray and connect - I was missing that. WALKING matters to me.

Work at the house in the past couple weeks has been focused on flooring. The phrase that has been going through my mind is, "It matters what you WALK on." Maybe it's not very profound, but it is true. So we have been focusing on floors that are level, floors that are smooth, floors that are clean and floors that will look beautiful. I have discovered that when the floor of a room is lovely, clean and level, the rest of the room looks and functions a whole lot better.

uncovering the simple beauty of wood floors

Many hours were spent with loud vibrating floor sanders. The diningroom floor was very challenging!

The look and feel of this bedroom changed the minute the wood floors were sanded and exposed.

This little space at the top of the stairs has been transformed at the hands of a friend who installed a beautiful hardwood floor.

...and the livingroom floor's inlay design has been gloriously restored.

So the Lord has been asking me some new questions... 

Who am I WALKING with? 

What am I WALKING on? 

Are my paths level? 

Is my WALK with Him beautiful? 

I have been challenged again to focus on more time spent in His Word so that my feet are firmly planted on Truth. This month has been filled with opportunities to trust Him more and He has been good and faithful.

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who WALK in the light of your presence, O Lord.

Psalm 89:15

HEART

We've enjoyed having friends and family stop by every now and then to see what we've been doing at the house. I like to welcome them and give tours. It's fun to talk about what the finished product will be like, and I invite advice and opinions on the details. Recently, a friend made a comment to me as we stood watching the kitchen cabinets being installed. He said, "I find it interesting that the kitchen is the first room being completed." Truly, like the old saying goes, the kitchen is the heart of the home.

The first cabinets going up.

We'll be able to pull up some stools at the island.

A big island will be a great place for serving buffet style meals.

A pantry has always been on my wish list. The desk area will serve as a work station, the heart of scheduling, bill paying and record keeping.

I pondered this concept and thought more about HEART. What do I want for this kitchen? How might God want to use this space?  

There are many definitions for this word HEART. It is also the part of our physical body that gives us life. And we all know how much everyone seems to gravitate to the kitchen when visiting. We share joys and sorrows over coffee, snacks and meals. Whether we know it or not, food can affect our emotions. I have lots of good memories of preparing meals and eating together. I also have memories of late night talks while eating a snack when my kids were teenagers. It has been a wonderful place to train our young children to listen and share in conversation and to serve others. As our children grew, we spent many mealtimes laughing together and encouraging each other. 

I look forward to the days ahead. I pray that God will use this space to communicate his heart and to give life.

How might God be asking you to use your home? Your kitchen? How might you create an atmosphere that invites conversation and promotes life?