Ye Ol' Church Pew

Yep, we got it.  Ye ol’ church pew.  Thanks to a very generous co-worker and a bit of sweat (ok, a lot of sweat, it’s 90 degrees here), we are starting the restoration project.  Some have commented that the unpardonable sin is to paint wood. Well, if that is the case, I am in trouble.  However, I haven’t found anything about it in the Bible.  I mean, Jesus was a carpenter but he didn’t tell us…Thou shalt not paint wood.  Soooooooo….I have chalk paint in hand.

Ok so no one told me BEFORE I bought the chalk paint that I didn’t have to sand it.  Oh well, lots of sweat for nothing. What color you ask?  Black…with some antiquing wax as a finishing coat.

1 quart of chalk paint = I think it was around $25…too expensive now that I know I could have made it myself.  (Lesson learned)

1 large container of Antiquing Wax = $25

1 large church pew = Free!

Step 1…sand it down.  I sanded it with a hand sander just to remove the sheen so the paint would stick.

Step 2...Wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove the dust.

Step 3...Paint! The weather has turned cooler so it's time to get the paint out.  I used Dutch Boy black chalk paint. I rolled most of it and used a brush in the small areas. It doesn't have to be perfect.  Remember, you are going to distress it anyway. Chalk paint dries fast so you will need to have everything ready.  

Coat #1

Coat #2

Step 4...Sand again.  I used a sander and some really rough sand paper for the corners.  Then I hand sanded to smooth the finish.

Just sand the areas where it looks like it would naturally be worn (the corners and edges). Don't be afraid to rough it up a little.

Step 4...wipe it down to get all of the dust off.  I used water with about 1/2 cup of white vinegar and a few drops of lemon essential oil.

The final step....

Apply the wax,  let it dry, and buff.  

I found that a stiff bristle brush works best. I tried a rag but the brush helps to get into the nooks and crannies. I chose antiquing wax because I didn't see the point in using a dark wax when the piece is already painted black. I just wanted to give it an aged look.

Finished! 

Today, we added some white sheers to soften the look. 

Added some burlap ties for texture. 

Viola!

Garden updates

Gardens hold a very special place in my heart.  I’ve always loved flowers, plants, trees, and anything that grows.  It wasn’t until recently that I’ve discovered my love for gardening.  While it is hard work, it is starting to pay off.  I admit that I am not much into the vegetable garden…fortunately Cindy enjoys growing vegetables. 

Do you know about the gardens in the Bible?

The Garden of Eden.  God created man to have a relationship with Him and He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve.  God made the garden a place of provision, protection and absolute freedom. It was here that the Tree of Life is mentioned. It was a perfect environment until Adam and Eve sinned and separated them from the garden and from God.  

The Garden of Gethsemane.  This garden is where Jesus was known to pray.  It was also where He had his greatest struggle but surrendered to the Father’s plan for  Him to go to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin and the sins of the whole world.

The Garden Tomb.  In John 19, the tomb was in a garden near Golgotha.  Interestingly, this was a new tomb, unused by no other bodies from family members, as was the custom. The burial in this tomb was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 which says:  "His grave was assigned to be with wicked men, yet [He was] with a rich man in his death.”  Jesus was supposed to have been buried with criminals, but instead was buried in a rich man's tomb.

Paradise. This “garden” is in Revelation 22.  We see again that the tree of life is mentioned and the new Heaven.  The Tree of Life was in the first Garden of Eden and now it is in Glory!  In the first garden, our communion with God was lost, but we can have our relationship restored again.  Fully restored!  Because of the Resurrection, we have the hope of being restored right now through a personal relationship with Jesus and we can follow Him as Lord until we return to the future hope glory.

There is HOPE in the garden!

Here are some before/after photos of our gardens.

This garden was called “the Prayer Garden” by the former owners.  It has a cross sculpted into the patio stones.  When I walk in, it makes me think of “standing on the cross of Christ.”   We now call it our “butterfly garden.”  One of my previous posts explains the significance of the butterfly in our walk with Christ.

 

The prayer garden before we moved in.

June, 2015

July, 2015

Year #2

April, 2016

This is the side garden.  It doesn’t really have a significant meaning other than to be pleasing to the eye.

The day we moved in and we planted our first tree.

This is the rose garden.  It is small now but we plan to add to it each year.

This is Cindy’s vegetable garden.  Wow!  She has a green thumb!  We hope to have plenty of good food from this garden and also to bless others with the abundance of what God provides. 

The front of the house. We planted sunset maples, peonies, and some zebra grass.  It's going to take a few years.

I planted this litthe area to soften and hide the air conditioner.  It's not really a garden but it looks better.

  
Future project...to hide the septic system.