Making the old new...

I have a favorite book. It's a children's book. I can still pick it up and read it and look at the pictures and it delights me as if I were a seven year old. I love it.

It's called The Oxcart Man.

What I am consistently struck by in this lovely book, is how wonderfully time is used. How resources are pulled from and made into something useful and profitable. And something about that just lights a fire in me - encourages me - inspires me.

I want to do the same thing.

Now - my husband - even though he worked on his grandfathers tobacco farm growing up, is not going to sell the house and move to a farm where we produce crops and live off of the land. Though I would be open to it, I don't see him doing that any time soon. Though I really don't think it is a bad idea. Truly.

My favorite summers have been when I had my garden in the back yard and I grew tomatoes, herbs and such. I loved going out,  picking the vegetable and bringing it in and cooking with it. It truly satisfied a longing in me.

I want to go back to that.

But not only that. I want to look with open eyes at my surroundings, at what we have and manage it well. To use it for profit - whether that is in our home, or to give away or sell. Doesn't really matter. I want to create, to use what we have wisely and to make something useful of it. I want to take the old and make it new.

I had a friend e-mail me and ask me if I wanted to refurbish old furniture. And my answer was immediately yes! I do it all the time - or used to. I have garbage chairs that I think are adorable.

This is one of them. My mom pulled them from a garbage pile and she and I refinished them and re-upholstered them - all ourselves. We made two of them. They are my favorite chairs.

Something is so very basic about that. So down to earth and natural. It's a good fit. So I am going for it. Prayerfully - God will bless the efforts. I must make the effort to do it and not just romanticize about it (which is my tendency). Because sometimes - being creative and making the ideas work is hard. But seeing it through will bring reward. And whether that is just for our household or if it brings use to others - that is a blessing and a reward in and of itself.


Of course this is a beautiful picture of what God does for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
So I am off - to do. Something. Something great. Something great for God.

So enough talk - time to put the words into action!

It's exciting.