Pictures of Warmth: week 2 of the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge

   I am linking up with the Poetic Winter Photography challenge at Project Alicia. It is throughout the month of February, and every week there is a one word theme. Week two's theme is....

Warmth

Psalm 91:4

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Now doesn't that sound like a warm inviting place to be? I'm so glad to know I can rest there!

These are a few of my shots that warm my heart ....

Christmas warms my heart

The warmth of a fall sunrise

My son laying in his horse's hay on an unseasonably warm winter day

A warm sunny spot to sit

This kitty is feeling the warmth of the sun

The warm feeling of the candlelight service on Christmas eve...passing on the light of the world.

The warmth of a big cup of coffee

Thanks for stopping by, I wish you warm wishes!

Come back anytime :)

-Allison

Pictures of Solitude

I am participating in a Poetic Winter Photography challenge at Project Alicia. It is through the month of February, and every week there is a one word theme. This week is...

Solitude

These are a few pictures that I have shot while on my own, out in God's creation. These have definitly been moments  of reflective solitude for me.

Psalm 91:1&2

1. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.(NKJV)

I broke the rules a bit and included some fall and  summer shots in addition to the winter ones. I hope that by visiting today, you felt a few moments of solitude yourself.

Thanks for stopping by, I enjoyed our visit!

-Allison

Kitchen Remix

   Well, we are redoing our kitchen! I'm so excited. We have a fairly big kitchen space and love to have lots of people over...but...while I can fit lots of people in there, I can't fit all my cups or plastic containers in my cabinets. We are busting at the seems!
   Some time back, friends of ours got a new kitchen and allowed us to take the wall cabinets they were taking out. I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to refinishing old things and loving them back to life. So of course when I saw these old cabinets needing a new home, I had to have them :)
   I can't believe it, but I didn't take any "before" pictures! My hubby had some time, and we just jumped in to ripping things out and starting this big project while we could. I have scoured through my pictures and found a couple of them that give an idea of what it looked like.
   We  don't have a lot of time (or money) so it will be a long drawn out project, but I'm so encouraged to be getting started! My plan is to post our progress as we move along. Feel free to leave some advice in the comments. We have done a lot of remodeling, but not on kitchens.
   In our "old" kitchen, we only have 3 1/2 wall cabinets, one big useless space under the sink, 3 small base cabinets and one base unit with drawers. I had a shallow floor to ceiling cupboard to hold food, and an awkward pantry type thing built in one wall. BUT, I had a long wall with nothing on it. It was begging for some cabinets! I had a kitchen table there that no one ate at and just usually held stuff that wouldn't fit in anywhere.
   The walls were white when we moved in 8 years ago, and white they stayed. I am painting them a creamy coffee/ chocolaty color called "Macchiato", and the cabinets will be painted cream and will have an antiqued finish. I love coffee and the contents of my morning cup inspired me. I am planning to have a little area devoted to all things coffee, kind of a mini coffee bar.
   Along that blank canvas of a wall we will be running counter top, but not base cabinets. I want to leave the bottom  open for bar stools of some sort. We are thinking about pouring our own concrete counter tops. Do any of you have experience with that?

Anyway here are a couple of pictures to serve as "Before" shots...

   
(Above)This is the wall that will get all the newly finished cabinets. We moved the 
fridge and found an awful peachy paint color!
Also this ugly wall paper was behind the cabinets!(Right)

Here we see usually our "company" is a house full of teens. We love it! Anyway I had this rolling cart by the door to hold small appliances, the microwave and coffee pot. To the right of that is the tall cupboard that I used as a pantry. Then I have 1 1/2 half cabinets over the stove. to the right of that is my corner sink.

After the corner sink, you see two upper cabinets and my corner of small base cabinets. Then the dishwasher and fridge. And there you see that long blank wall with a shelf on it...longing for cabinets and counter top! I know I will be giving up floor space, but I think it will be worth it. ( These lovely people are my husbands aunt and uncle and cousins. Love spending time with family!)

So Hopefully I will get a chance to get some pictures up soon of what we have done so far. Any suggestions for flooring? We are thinking of  doing a heated tile floor.

Re-Learning Lessons I Thought I Already Knew....

   Wow! Have you ever had a day (or a week) where you feel as if God pointed everything right at you to shout a message loud and clear? I don’t mean in a harsh mean way…I mean a gentle Fatherly loving way?

   I went to our church’s ladies Bible study like I do most Wednesday nights. Tonight we started a new fabulous looking book called Becoming a Woman of Extraordinary Faith. What If You Gave It All to God? by Julie Clinton.

   Well right out of the gate we watched the companion video that shared a woman’s amazing story of how her life and the lives of her family were forever changed by a drunk driver crashing into them. She talked about how her daughter struggles even today, some six years after the accident, with memory and physical issues. She has had to mourn the future she imagined for her daughter. She talked about praying for God to return things back to “normal” for her daughter….But then she realized that God was doing something extraordinary through her daughter the way she was now…She had to let go of the picture of what “normal” would be for her ….

   I have been mourning a few issues lately. Dreams I felt were from God…good things that seem like they would have good godly results for others….situations I felt called to, but the doors aren’t opening in the right direction…feeling the (prideful) need to stand up for my child/children/self when wronged or have our character challenged…ugh this list has had me stressed, angry, confused, sad….and now that I really look at it, struggling with my faith….and pride.

   Yesterday, I read a blog that I “stumbled on” about pride it struck a nerve, but it was really only setting me up for the things I would hear today. Tonight I realized I was waiting for things to return to “normal”. Waiting for the picture I had in my head to play out in real life… and running ahead (and running my mouth) to defend my children’s good name and reputation as well as my own. How prideful of me!

   Even though the things I was wanting and waiting for were not selfish ungodly things, the grip I had on my vision of those things was! If God called me to something it will happen in His time…my waiting for things to change causes me to miss precious time and blessings right under my nose….God will defend my family, I don’t need to help him…

   Well it’s a good thing that I have a long drive home. As I was alone in my car, the rain streaming down the windshield, tears began to fall…I allowed my heart to break for these things I have been desperately grasping. I confessed my pride and lack of faith…I let go…we had a long talk and knowing how music touches me, He spoke to me through the songs that played on the radio. Songs I’ve heard a thousand times, but tonight spelled out a message just for me.

   First was “Come as You are” by Pocket  Full of Rocks:

 He's not mad at you
And He's not disappointed
His grace is greater still
Than all of your wrong choices
Chorus:
You can come as you are
With all your broken pieces
And all your shameful scars
The pain you hold in your heart
Bring it all to Jesus
You can come as you are

God knew the burden I have been carrying and when I felt I couldn’t come to Him, He came to me!

Then played “The Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns:

But the giant's calling out my name 
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times 
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. 'Boy you'll never win!'
'You'll never win!'

Chorus: 
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, 'Do not be afraid!'
The voice of truth says, 'This is for My glory'
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

I need to listen to His voice, not all the voices out there talking about or against us. I need to listen for His guidance every day instead of my agenda.

Then came Matthew West’s “Strong Enough”:

I know I'm not strong enough to be 
Everything that I'm supposed to be 
I give up 
I'm not strong enough 
Hands of mercy won't you cover me 
Lord right now I'm asking you to be 
Strong enough 
Strong enough 
For the both of us

I don’t have to carry all of this myself, I can walk away from my idea of “normal” but only when holding His hand.

Then I got home and read my devotional…

Psalm 73:23-26

New International Version (NIV)

 ²³ Yet I am always with you; 
   you hold me by my right hand. 
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, 
   and afterward you will take me into glory. 
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? 
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, 
   but God is the strength of my heart 
   and my portion forever.

Tonight, I go to bed knowing the road may be hard, but I am holding the hand of my Heavenly Father, knowing He will be my strength forever…. Do you know that too? I hope so…


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