The Downtown Farmhouse

Hey friends,

Long time no write!

I’ve not known what to say. 

There is so much sadness in our world. So much hurt and so much pain. It seems petty to post pictures of a painted furniture piece or my next project. So I wait. I wait for an experience worth posting about. 

Last week we prepared for Sunday church in the midst of the Las Vegas shooting. Something I love so much about our church is its leaders and the ability to change. Change a series because God says that His people need to hear something else. Change songs because Worship doesn’t have a set list in God’s eyes. 

The teaching changed

The Worship songs changed 

And Sunday morning when we arrived on campus at 7:00am the electricity changed. We had 60% of our lights, no air conditioning and most of the sound equipment didn’t work. The plaza where our church campus is located had lost at least one leg of wires from the transformer.

We had already changed the set and added two brand new songs from Wednesday night rehearsal. That alone is a lot. Rehearsal was not the greatest and we were all ready to smooth out the kinks and get ready for the 9:00 gathering. 

The teaching title for the day was “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” 

Our pastor comes in during rehearsal and he was so excited! He mentioned that the current state of electricity could not have been planned any better. 

Our God, in our darkest moments does His biggest miracles.

That was the big idea. 

I can’t even describe Sunday morning. The power with its limitations only created the most powerful presence. 

The 10:30 am gathering begins.

The Worship is amazing. Just a few of my friends. So much talent 

The teaching is amazing

We begin to sing the last song of the morning. It’s titled “Our Hope is in You.” 

We are halfway through the song. You can listen here: 

Oh God all our hope is in You

Oh God all our hope is in You

No other name

No other way

Our only hope

Oh God is in You 

The lights…..Come on

Pastor Mark looks back at the band

The room erupts. 

People thought it was planned

No

Only God can plan something so incredible.

He’s got our whole world in His hands

Dear Jack,

You are 5 months old this week. It seems like last week you were born.

Look how little you were! 

And now?

You love Sesame Steeet. 

Elmo is your favorite. 

You are so cute! 

You laugh and make baby talk all the time now. You gabber like you’ve really got something to say.

You grab everything and of course it goes into your mouth. Yesterday you got your first tooth. You would have thought by your families reaction that you had just won the gold medal. 

We still spend most mornings, just you and I, around 7:30 sitting on the porch watching the neighborhood kids go to school. We watch the cars drive by and we talk about the kind of car it is and the color. There’s a BIG white Car or there’s a little GREEN car!!!

We sing. 

ALOT.

I’m sure the neighbors are really sick of our songs. We sing a lot on the porch. 

You love “The ants go marching” and “Apples and Bananas. ”

You like to jump. It can be with your feet on the ground but you really like to jump on our bellies. 

You can roll from you back to your front and from your front to your back.

You are practicing crawling. You are really good at “the swim”

Pops and I have been talking about how we need to get gates on the stairs soon. No babies falling down stairs please. 

You will sit long enough to read a book if it’s an exciting one. Old McDonald is a favorite. Of course singing goes along with it.

You are a big boy, Jack Wissinger. You weigh 18.6 pounds and you are 26.25″ tall. 

You will be sitting up soon all by yourself and Mommy says you will start trying new foods in a few weeks. 

You had your first chiropractic adjustment this week. The Dr. said you were perfect. 

You have discovered your tongue.

You are a happy little boy.

I don’t think I could love you more.

Love,

BB

I like to look at things and see it in a different life. 

Maybe a big bookshelf can be transformed into an office cabinet. Yes I will be doing that soon 

Maybe an old rusty metal drawing file cabinet can be a coffee table. 

A vintage dresser can be an entertainment cabinet 

An old chandelier and some embroidery hoops might be able to be a chandelier. 

I love to give things a new life.

While we were renovating the Carports/garages, I needed to weed through the project pieces. If it didn’t have a life, it needed to go. That’s HARD!!!

Enter this table

It was a coffee table and it was eh. Mediocre. An ok coffee table. 

I didn’t need a coffee table. I have a cool coffee table made out of a metal filing cabinet. 

However the top was different.

It has a wavy lip around the top. 

Think Charma. What can it be?

Remove the legs

It had a really flat and nice wood surface. 

And there was that wavy piece.

Nice…..

Sand

Prime

Paint

Have your super talented friend make you vinyl letters of a scripture you love 

What was once a table is now a sign

And those lanterns were leftover from the old house. The holders are really outdoor plant holders. Just because it says outside doesn’t mean it has to be outside.

Never underestimate what something can be.

Maybe even you??? 

I just read an article by Jen Hatmaker. She is my favorite women’s speaker and author. She’s funny and real. She’s not afraid to tell you about the crap in her life and how’s she’s dealing with it. 

She recently posted about a weekend away with her “people.” She called them her lifters. I loved that.  

I have at times talked about arm holders. Just like Moses in the Bible. When he was too weary to hold him arms up, Aaron and Hur stood beside him and held them up for him. 

Lifters are the same.

I’ve been blessed with lifters and I will continue to be a lifter for as long as God allows me to be. 

As we woke this morning, Steve is feverish and sick. He is not often sick. He always cares for everyone else but today, I will care for him. Not just the regular day of care. Laundry, dinner and a kiss goodbye as he leaves for work. Today I will be his lifter. 

These are my people. 

Women crave relationships. 

Women need other women and I have been lucky enough to find these two. They are my lifters and I am theirs.

Women go through crap too. They struggle with fear and anxiety. They have moments of “what am I going to do now.” They will travel through tough times. We all have family and our families are amazing. However to have the presence of your lifters, moments that you can laugh even though life is hard, is a gift I cannot explain.  This week I will be a lifter. Details are not necessary but just know that when you have people, sometimes they need you and sometimes you need them. It goes both ways and can never be one sided. 

God has blessed me with an amazing family and my lifters. 

I am forever grateful.

I gotta go put on my nurse uniform today:) 

Be blessed. 

I have been walking through life with a few of my friends.

Life that is hard. Life that seems unfair.

The friends I speak of follow Jesus. They trust Jesus with thier lives.

I am in the worship band this morning. I play the keyboard as well as sing backups.

The songs this morning hit me like a rock. 

Not during rehearsal when it doesnt matter. It really wouldn’t be a big deal if I can’t sing or play during rehearsal. 

My tears wait until we are leading 300 others in Worship. Tears blind my eyes making it unable to see notes on the page before me. A lump in my throat making it difficult to sing words. 

Our set list this morning includes 

Alive Again

You make me Brave 

Waiting Here for You

During rehearsal, the words don’t jump off the page. 

As I sing the words this morning all I can do is think of my friends. My friends who are walking through the fire of life while trusting Jesus. 

Times in their life where they trust a God to make them brave. 

This blog is just full of my thoughts. 

If you are not a follower of Christ I won’t apologize for my thoughts and words but as I watch my friends travel the dusty dirty road of life and know without a shadow of a doubt that they know Jesus, it allows my tears to be tears of joy.

A few of the words:

You make me brave You make me brave

You call me out beyond the shore into the waves

You make me brave You make me brave

No fear can hinder now the love that made a way

Lyrics speak to my heart

Some people it’s words they read

Some people it’s listening to a person speak.

I am forever grateful for the gift of music. The gifts given to me to play and sing. For the talents of others. 

I won’t apologize for my tears. I will be grateful to words who speaks to me through song.

Have a great day!

Think about your tears. 

I drove a 2001 Acura. 

It wasn’t pretty anymore.

It had a hole in the bumper from where I ran into a pick up trucks trailer hitch.

There was dried paint on the leather seats and the carpets were not spotless.

I liked my car. 

It was paid for and since I work at home, I stay home more than I go. My car worked for me. 

However this car failed me.

I drove 2 hours south to stay for a few days taking care of a friend who was having surgery.

I was within 1 mile of the exit and my car decided to not continue. I was in the center lane and I was able to maneuver to the safety of the side of the road. 

Back up 5 minutes……

Steve called. 

He was traveling on I75 just like me except heading north. 

We were chatting about our day.

I said “I’m passing the Outlet mall.” 

He said “so am I!”

We chatted some more. 

3 minutes and my car was not right. 

Me: “My car is acting weird. I need to get off the interstate.”

Him “I’m going to the next exit and turn around. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Now listen.

Stress is your car dying in I75 during rush hour traffic. 

Stress is not knowing what the outcome will be. However, it’s a car and cars will either be fixed or they will not. 

Stress is handling situations alone. I could have handled the situation alone. However I didn’t have to. 

He made me feel safe. He cares for me and looks out for me. He is my protector. He allowed my husband to be 5 minutes from me during a stressful situation when we live 2 hours away from home. 

He is God 

I don’t really believe in coincidence. I believe that Steve was traveling with me on the Interstate at the exact same time because he was supposed to be. 

I’m grateful for a God who knows me better than I know myself. He knows my next steps and I’m ok with that. I have to tell myself often that “He’s got this” and I’m sure that won’t change. 

What today will you allow Him to have?

He’s got this.

Potential was the only good word for the carport when we purchased the old house two years ago. 

It had a rusty, bent up roof 

The walls were mismatched, made from leftover materials. There were weeds and brush growing through every crack and crevice. Most of the studs holding up the walls were rotted off at the bottoms. 

But seeing through the ugly and distraught and visualizing what the can be, is what we do best.

Three open bays, a garage without a door and a shed on the end is what we started with.

The House was the main priority for the first year of restoration. We still have a lot a lot to go, but 2017 has seen the carport come to the top of the list. 

The roof was first.

The roof alone was a huge transformation 

The old walls were torn down.

There were old real estate signs and windows behind the walls.

New walls were built but oh my goodness those windows hold my heart.

The end was closed in and so that our junk (treasures) were hidden.

The door openings were all framed in so that doors could be installed 

Each and every opening (5) has a pretty door and an automatic opener. 

Here’s the first door going in. It was an exciting day! 

They each have pretty black hardware that mimics a carriage door.

New lights that match the house finished the look. 

Coming soon! 

I whined a little the other day about being uncomfortable in a social situation.

Yes I was uncomfortable and Yes I wrote that blog so that I would have something to do while being uncomfortable.

However that’s not me. 

This is me! 

Silly with spit flying while hanging with my people.

Steve sent this picture to me while we served at the Hope Hospital Shelter following Hurricane Irma. It included a note that said “no new projects…..”

He knows me.

He knows that I am talking about a projects that was finished or one that’s about to happen. These two girls friends 💜

We laughed……a lot. 

A selfie at Lowes with my guy. Smiling and looking like a hot mess. 

The moral of the story is:

Just be the best you that you can be. 

Have a great Saturday! 

Charma 

I love to tag along with Steve when he goes on business trips.

The hotel rooms.

The pools or the ocean at my disposal. It’s like a mini vacation for me. 

For those that know me, know that I am not shy. I am the opposite of shy. However when I am thrust into a room with hundreds of people that do not know, I am still not shy, but when everyone else is speaking a different language it’s quite unnerving. I don’t know what to say. I feel…..just weird and way out of my comfort zone. 

Steve has work to do and people to see. I say “I’ll be fine, you go do what you need to do. I’ll just sit here and try to disappear or I’ll go outside.” I listen to those sitting around me at the table speaking of equipment and fire service.  Pumps and other strange things. 

I have visited the food table numerous times. I’m not even hungry for goodness sake. 

Steve wants to introduce me to his collegues. Shake hands. Small talk. They are super nice but I still don’t speak their language. 

I talk old house

I talk paint colors and furniture styles

I talk Grandbabies

Where is karaoke when I need it. 

Reprieve…… 

“You can go back to the room if you want.” 

“Yes please.”

This hotel is huge.

I have forgotten our room number and I’m for sure going to get lost trying to find my way back to our room. 

I’ll just wait outside.

It’s a beautiful evening in South Florida and  I’m becoming friends with the mermaid.

I still like to go with my guy whenever I can.

I guess I just need to learn a new language. 

Long before we moved to the old house I was gifted a set of parson chairs. They were in excellent condition but the upholstery was not exactly what I had in mind. 

I purchased yards and yards of white  fabric, hundreds of nail heads and Mom recovered them for me. 

After thousands of staples were removed, many hours of pulling here and arranging fabric here, White parson chairs were completed. 

They waited months and months to be placed perfectly around the old farmhouse table I found in a thrift store. 

My vision complete. 

We actually use the dining table almost every day. Unlike our previous home where most dinners were eaten around the TV balancing your plate on your lap. 

I still love the white parson chairs . I still love the look they provide in the old farmhouse dining room. 

Fast forward move in day July 2016 to now September 2017. 

I am thinking of what’s about to happen.

This little man, is almost 5 months old. 

He will soon be sitting up by himself.

Which means he will soon be joining us at the table for meals. 

Whoa 

White chairs and a little kid? 

Um…….. no thank you 

A month or so ago, I searched Craigslist for a set of chairs for a table I am restoring and getting ready to put up for sale .

I found the perfect chairs! 

There were 8 and I only need 4.

However my white dining chairs have been on my mind lately. 

4 white chairs were painted white for the restoration table and 4 black chairs were painted for ………..

Love the new look. 

Have a blessed day,

Charma