Our Home

Now that we've lived here for 6 months, I thought it'd be nice to post a little home tour so our friends and family can picture what our little home is like.  This home is was a complete answer to prayer.  We had no idea where we were going to live up until a month before we moved.  Boxes were being packed and plane tickets had been bought but we hadn't found a house.  Everything was either too expensive or much, much too small. Think one or two bedroom apartment.  We were willing to make anything work, but knew the church would probably meet in our home for a while so we needed the place to be able to have multiple functions. 

Out of nowhere a friend found a listing for a little 1850's farmhouse online.  I was smitten with the red door, windows everywhere, and the word "farmhouse." What's not to love? (Well, mice and rats, as it turns out.) But anyways - it was in our budget (to rent), and it was like the Lord handpicked it just for us.  

(This is the farm field in front of our house.) 

I prayed that our home would feel bright and cheery, and the Lord gave us a home with a million windows which means we barely have to turn the lights on at all until evening.  And there is a craft room off the kitchen which was my secret desire and hope.  And there are window seats. 

The list of things that have been easy and comfortable about moving away from family and friends to to plant a church in a small town of New England is short.  Quite short.  But the list of ways I have seen his grace and faithfulness lavished on us in the midst of it all is very, very long.  At every turn, through every trial, and in the middle of really long draining days, and moments where Ben and I have looked at each other like, "Can you believe this is happening?" His presence has lifted us up and helped us to press on.  

And this house? This house is one of the many ways He has whispered to my heart, "I care for you, and I see you." We've only been here half a year but the walls of this home have already seen so much life being lived and memories being made.  

Our kitchen table has been surrounded by women every Wednesday afternoon studying the Word for themselves for the first time.  At 6 am on Monday mornings that table has a group of painters, who have just given their lives to Jesus, sitting around it discussing what it looks like to follow Him in every aspect of their lives.  Our craft room floor has had people kneeling on it and surrendering their lives to Jesus.  Our living room has held the first gatherings of this church and witnessed people who used to be far from Jesus eagerly listening to the Word and singing songs of praise with humble gratitude.  Our sink has held massive amounts of dirty dishes, especially coffee cups, and been cleaned and dirtied over and over again with the ebb and flow of having community buzzing around in our home all throughout the week.  

I knew from the beginning that our home was a gift to be given to others and used for His glory, and that's what it has been. Although many times it has been in spite of the condition of my heart, not because of it.

So here is our home. The disclaimer is that these pictures of each room were taken months apart because my home is NEVER clean all the same time. Ever. And really, the only reason the rooms were this clean and set up is because I was taking pictures of them :) And that is why the same room might look a little from picture to picture.

Come on in, y'all! 

 

If you get the urge to hang random girly plates on your wall, let me do you a favor and save you some drama. USE PLATE HANGERS.  If you happen to think it's a good idea to rig a contraption of duct tape and little metal triangles that are found on the back of frames, you run the risk of your plates playing "last man standing" in the middle of the night and scaring you half to death.  You're welcome. 

 

 

 

The kitchen/living room is where the church has been having Sunday gatherings.  It has been a great space for this season but it is time for something bigger and more permanent. Please pray the Lord provides the right building. 

I love the view from the kitchen sink.

Here's the winter view :) 

Levi's name letters from his nursury are making an awkward come back as mantle decor since I couldn't find a place to store them. Never saw that coming. 
This fireplace is pretty massive in real life. The bookshelves are in a brick oven and Levi can pretty much stand up straight in the fire place. I'm hoping for a wood burning stove in there this year :) 

Here's the craft room...aka my happy place :) My mom came up at the end of march and flipped the room like a BOSS. We (mainly she) removed 5 layers of wallpaper and sanded all the walls, resulting in layers of dust piled on top of the really old green carpet.  We happened to discover that there were really beautiful hardwoods underneath the carpet, and got permission to rip up the carpet.  We painted the walls and trim and then set it all up. It was a really tiring and HUGE project and never would have gotten done without my mom! 

To fully appreciate the room, you have to see the before pics :) 

That right there is sawdust - it piled up even more than this by the time it was all said and done. 

The finished product!

 

 

 This is the boys' room.

 

The Master.

This is the guest room, which has happily gotten a lot of use since we've been here.  

 

And lastly, here's a little peek of the sunroom which is lovely in the morning, and blazing hot on a sunny day - it gets up to 100 degrees even in the winter.