"Also, the style of my home is rather a cottage layout. I have begun to update it, room by room and transform it into a cottage home. I will be posting photos of my progress. Next to sharing ones heart and faith, it doesn't get much more real than being invited into someone's home. Consider yourself invited. I only wish we could visit, and have tea and biscuits together."
Well, come on in. I have started. Be they baby steps, I have begun the process of renewing by redecorating this house, with the intention of making it, our home. You will notice that the label for this entry is, "House to Home". That is how I will label every entry from here on that pertains to the redoing of our house. I am hoping to have at least the main floor completed by the beginning of, September. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I am hoping to visit England, in September. I would really like to have the biggest part of the house behind me. That may be a bit of a stretch, but I think with some serious effort and diligence it can be done. With a touch here and there, some normal weeding and a new plant or two...ish, and the planting of the usual vegetables in the garden, I should not have outside work to do this year. So, I am counting on having some quality chunks of time back to do the inside of the house.
Of course, I have been thinking, planning, looking and drafting on graph paper. However, with the exception of actually buying the wallpaper for one of the bedrooms, and pulling out a useless counter, and stripping wallpaper in three rooms, I have not done anything until this footstool that is really getting at the job. I have this footstool, an old rocker and sewing machine case - both 45+ years old, and at least one dresser that I want to antique with an ivory base. I thought this footstool was the best place to start. It is small and the legs are not as visible as the other pieces I want to redo. And, it would be a snap to redo if I did not like the finish. If I did like it, I could proceed to the others. I am glad I did this little stool first. I do like it enough, but I think I am going to look for a green distressing antique top coat for the dresser. I will use the brown top coat for the rocker and sewing machine case.
This old footstool is one my mother used. She really enjoyed it. My daughter Melissa, was so helpful with mom until she moved to, Oklahoma. Melissa, has vivid and many memories of mom using this stool. I knew mom intended to cover it. When I went through her sewing things, I found fabric she bought to do just that. It was difficult for me to opt to choose my own fabric, but mom and I had diametrically opposed views on decorating style. You will see that as we go along.
The fabric is not the only thing that will need replaced.
The foam is in very bad shape, and needs replaced.
Originally, I wondered if the stool could be done over with just showing wood as the finished product. When I uncovered the whole of it, that was not an option. This is the ugliest pressed wood I have ever seen.
Being the eternal optimist, I paint it anyway in hopes of just antiquing. While it was good to get that old thing painted, it had to be covered.
And so, we cover it.
Much different.
The rocking chair seat will be covered in this fabric, and antiqued with this combination of paint and top coat. Though they were never a set, they will be placed together when done.
Footstool. There is some real significance in that word.
foot·stool -noun: a low stool upon which to rest one's feet when seated.
My mind wandered down two paths when I pondered this word.
My first thoughts were about a verse in Hebrews. I had to look it up because I was not sure of its exact reference. It was Hebrews 10:13. Once I got to reading the verse, I realized I began meditating on, and wanted to share the context and not simply that one verse.
Hebrews 10:11-39
Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There He waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet. For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For He says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then He says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume His enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
Psalm 99; 5 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy.
Psalm 132: 7 Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
This passage of scripture really put my mind in motion. We have what it takes, what is needed to "make" Jesus' enemies a footstool under His feet. Originally, we were created to have complete fellowship with God, harmony and unity with one another, perfect health and have all of our needs met, and all in a sin and death free environment. Loving to garden and enjoying a beautiful garden, I have to add that this environment was a garden... I am sure the most exquisite ever! As you know, we exchanged that for alienation from God, strife with one another, sickness, disease, death and lack. In a moment of pride and rebellion, we handed our amazing life over for a piece of fruit. But, God wanted us to have what He originally gave us, and as quickly as we fell, he made us coverings for our flesh, and a provision to buy back all we lost was on the way. Jesus, being the only One that had the price it required, left and bankrupt Heaven, then came to buy back what we gave away. Jesus was the incorruptible Seed that had to die and go into the ground, so that we could be the harvest that would once again bring glory to, God. Once we receive this great gift, receive Jesus as our Savior, we also receive the Holy Spirit. At that moment, we have received the same power that was used at the resurrection. The Holy Spirit then begins leading us and teaching us. With the Holy Spirit teaching us who we are in Christ, and how to apply this power to bring glory to God, we are able to accomplish the task of "making" Jesus' enemies a footstool under His feet. Remember how Jesus said we would go on to do greater works than He? He tells us that we will do these works with the help of the, Holy Spirit. What are these works? Anything Jesus, did. Go tell the world the good news of salvation. Baptize. Disciple. Lay hands on the sick. Comfort the mourning. Show love. Help the poor. Visit the incarcerated. Feed the hungry. Dispel darkness every opportunity you get! I think you get the picture. And, the Holy Spirit will guide you where to do these things God calls you to do, AND, he gives you the power to do them! What a wonderful God, we have!!!!
Satan, Jesus' enemy, our enemy, lost his authority in this world the day the Jesus was raised up from the dead. That does not stop him from trying to wreck our lives with his evilness. For those of us that receive Jesus, choose to go on and do the work left here and entrusted to us to do, we can be about the business of "making" Jesus' enemies, a footstool.
You may have noticed, for emphasis I made bold verse 22 in the above passage. Here is where my second path of thinking begins. In pondering all of the verses about making Jesus' enemies His footstool, I was overcome with the "where" of it all. Where it all starts. It starts with the God that loved us long before we loved, Him. The God that even though we were sinful and rebellious against Him, gave out of pure love for us, His only son. The God that does not change. The God whose mercies, and tender kindnesses, and love endure forever. The God that deserves all of our honor, praise, thanksgiving and most certainly our worship. He bids us to come to Him. He has given us what was required to be able to approach Him with boldness. And, just as in the garden, He wants to spend time with us. Do you not find this amazing? I do! Verse 22 above, says:
22 ...let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
This verse caused me to think about the next two verses that also refer to a footstool. This footstool however, is the one we sit on at His feet. This is where we are nurtured and grow into the person He created us to be. We go to the throne for salvation, and we go their for everything else thereafter.
Satan, Jesus' enemy, our enemy, lost his authority in this world the day the Jesus was raised up from the dead. That does not stop him from trying to wreck our lives with his evilness. For those of us that receive Jesus, choose to go on and do the work left here and entrusted to us to do, we can be about the business of "making" Jesus' enemies, a footstool.
You may have noticed, for emphasis I made bold verse 22 in the above passage. Here is where my second path of thinking begins. In pondering all of the verses about making Jesus' enemies His footstool, I was overcome with the "where" of it all. Where it all starts. It starts with the God that loved us long before we loved, Him. The God that even though we were sinful and rebellious against Him, gave out of pure love for us, His only son. The God that does not change. The God whose mercies, and tender kindnesses, and love endure forever. The God that deserves all of our honor, praise, thanksgiving and most certainly our worship. He bids us to come to Him. He has given us what was required to be able to approach Him with boldness. And, just as in the garden, He wants to spend time with us. Do you not find this amazing? I do! Verse 22 above, says:
22 ...let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
This verse caused me to think about the next two verses that also refer to a footstool. This footstool however, is the one we sit on at His feet. This is where we are nurtured and grow into the person He created us to be. We go to the throne for salvation, and we go their for everything else thereafter.
Psalm 99; 5 Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy.
Psalm 132: 7 Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
Another new tag, or label that you might have noticed is, "Pearl Diving". Although there have been a scant few oysters around the Asian coast containing pearls that could be harvested at less than six feet, that is by far not the norm. To acquire pearls, you gotta go deep sea diving. That is how it is with the truths in Gods' Word. Certainly, you can get something out of His Word just by opening it up and reading it. God promises His Word will not return void. And, I do just that. Read here a little, there a little. What I really enjoy though, is going in deep and getting pearls of deep wisdom. I want to share those with you, too. From here on, I will label posts that have some deep sea diving in the Word, with "Pearl Diving".
Going to the throne for bit,
Teresa
"footstool." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 12 Feb. 2008.
1 comment:
I shall be watching eagerly to see how you renovate your house. Quite a project you have taken on.
Post a Comment