Soul Care Sunday

Weary from a long winter, I found hope this week in the two great books: the Bible and the "Book of Nature," God's creation.  My heart needed it!  Perhaps yours needs it, too.

A blessed day to you, friends!

Making changes in my kitchen

When we moved into our home in 2005, one of our favorite things about the house was the kitchen.  Here's how it looked back when I started blogging:

Over the years I've changed a few tiny things here and there, but not a lot.

We still love this kitchen, but it's time to make some more substantial changes. Now, some things won't change. We can't change the cabinetry, and we can't change the countertops. That's okay: the cupboards are custom-made solid maple and the countertops are thick granite. But I want more of a farmhouse look in my kitchen, so I'm making some changes.

 Of course, we've all heard this many times, but it bears repeating: one of the the biggest ways to make changes to your house is also the one that gives the biggest bang for the buck: PAINT.  Last year I changed the kitchen wall color to a brighter apple green, but now I've decided to go much lighter with the wall color. I still wanted a green kitchen, but I went for an old-fashioned color (Sherwin Williams Liveable Green). Here's a good look at the new wall color:

And now for the change I'm most excited about--another paint change. As I said, our cupboards are custom-made solid maple, and my family decided that painting all these cabinets is not the way to go.  But that doesn't mean we can't paint any of them, does it? Look!



I realized that when I looked at my kitchen all I saw was a sea of brown. No more! The island color is another Sherwin Williams color, Oakmoss. I think I'm in love.

I left the hardware on the perimeter cabinetry alone, but I changed the hardware on the island. The new knobs and pulls are "Gilmore" from Restoration Hardware. They're very heavy and so old-fashioned looking, don't you think?

I have several more things to do in this room and hope to have my updated kitchen finished before Easter. I keep telling myself "slow and steady wins the race."

What do you think? Do you like the green island?  Have you ever painted kitchen cabinets?

I'm joining these parties:

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now

March meditation

March is here, and in my hometown it's coming in like a lamb.  I suppose that means it'll go out like a lion, right?

Whatever the weather, here is my prayer for this March:

And as I consider both lion and lamb, I take comfort from these verses from Revelation 5:

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.  And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

. . . Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!"

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them,  saying,

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"

Amen!

**Joining the Soli Deo Gloria party at Finding Heaven.**

SPECIAL NOTE:  I've created a version of the artwork above that can be printed and framed.

Click here to access a 4"x6" version.
Click here to access a 5"x7" version.