Faith, Family and decorating adventures...

When my husband and I first got married, like a lot of young couples we wanted everything new and now.  We felt as though we deserved new and the best of what the world had to offer. That was many years ago and I am so glad that we have grown in the Lord and matured a lot since then. We learned the hard way that we don't really deserve anything...we are sinners that are saved by the blood of Christ and not by our own works. Whatever we are given in this life is a blessing from God, yes, we are hard workers but we don't work to have more material thing, its ultimately up to God what he chooses to give us. We want to be good stewards of whatever we are given and appreciate it and be content with what we have, never desiring the possessions of others. Is this easy?  Not always.  Are we perfect at achieving this?  Not everyday, but we try our best and we aim to please our Creator and when we fail, we ask His forgiveness and start new again tomorrow.  Humility is a virtue that we work at daily.  We have also realized that having what the world sees as important, does not make you happy.

The season of life that we are in right now is much more Christ centered and we are now child bearing and child raising. So, just a little bit on our beliefs and thoughts...We love home decorating/remodeling/projects, BUT, at this stage in our lives we choose to spend more time at home as a family rather than working more at work to have extra money to spend on these projects so our budget is very limited.  We enjoy the projects that we are able to do, BUT, we are grateful for the years that God gives us to raise children and have their laughter and presence in our home and we feel that this is our first priority along side with our relationship with God...So, the projects we choose to do, we perform it to meet a need and we do the work ourselves to save money and experience the fullfillment of hard work in the process...which is what we want our children to learn. Do we want to have nice things, of course but not at the expense of our child, our salvation or our family time together.  So we have to ask ourselves if those things will be strained while performing a project. We love making the most of what God gives us and making our home and the things we do have nice, clean and presentable. We take care of what is intrusted to us so it will last longer and will cost us less in the long run. When myself or my husband feel the need to do a household project we (No. 1) make sure it is in the budget, (No. 2) make sure that it won't take up so much of our time that it will take our focus away from what matters most and (No. 3) make sure that it will improve the peace, functionality and simplicity in our home and not complicate it. We never choose to do a project or buy something simply because someone else or everyone else around us has it or is doing the same thing. We don't fit into a mold, we are in this world but not of it and that is ok with us. I can't imagine being any other way.

My wheels have been turning lately, I want our home to be centered around God, our 3 year old and any other children God chooses to bless us with. I have noticed that the older I get, the more my style changes into something more simple and casual.  I really like a mix of French Country and Shabby Chic. It’s so inviting, peaceful, relaxing and inexpensive.  I have happily found many items lying around my home that with a coat of paint and some sanding, have been turned into instant shabby chic pieces. The great part is that things don't have to match or be new...actually, the older the better. Yard sales, thrift stores and hand-me-downs are perfect and that is great for us because that is where we get almost everything from furniture to clothes, linens, dishes, etc…

I am still working on the pics of our projects and I will post them soon.

I hope you enjoy what we share and are inspired to keep your home a welcoming haven for you and your special loved ones. God bless!!!

The Virtuous Wife

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon talks about the character of a virtuous wife…as I was reading this today, I really felt like God was speaking to me.  Even though this was not the first time I had read these verses, I was really reminded that these things are often forgotten in the world in which we live or they are not valued very highly.  As a Christian mom and wife I must be conformed and changed by God’s word and not to the world’s ways of doing things…these verses are very convicting and as I strive to raise my little girl in the ways of the Lord, this is also a reminder of the values which I need to teach her at a young age.  I was raised by my mother since my parents divorced when I was 6 years old.  When I look at my daughter and my marriage I desire to be the mom and wife that The Lord made me to be and nothing less than that.  I experienced firsthand what a broken marriage does to a child.  God wants us to be virtuous, trustworthy, hardworking, God fearing, compassionate and kind to our husbands, our children and to others around us.

Who can find a virtuous wife?  For her worth is far above rubies.  The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.  She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands.   Proverbs 30: 10-13

She also rises while it is till night, and provides food for her household.  Proverbs30: 15

She extends her hands to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.  Proverbs 30: 20

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.  She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Proverbs 30: 26-27

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.  Proverbs 30: 30

Lets pray that as we go about our daily responsibilities today and everyday…taking care of our children, our husbands and our homes, that we will seek the will of God in everything we do no matter how big or how small.  We serve the Lord when we serve others.