The Chair

Several of you have recently heard me talking about a chair that I have been refinishing, so I decided that I've made a fair enough amount of progress to finally post some pictures!

The Story: This fall, I was going for a walk around town and found this huge chair by a dumpster. It caught my eye because it reminds me of some of the furniture up at church camp. I went back awhile later with a friend of the family to check it out again for structure issues or any damage that I didn't see before. Looked like a solid chair to me! So we loaded it into the truck and took it to a friend's woodshop.

Here's the first look:

Notice the scratched up arms and missing bottom section.

And here's a sideview to see the details:

Lighter tone in natural sunlight

 As you can see, it's an older, very solid chair...and I think it's perfect. :) It is a pine wood chair, and whoever originally made the chair took a lot of time choosing which piece of lumber would go where. You can tell because the most beautiful grain is placed in spots where they will be most seen. The chair is also a rocking chair!
So I've completed the process of stripping the stain. Here's a pic:


Arms were sanded...starting to see what it really looks like under there!

 Next, the sanding process...It's been interesting! Here are a few of the tools I've used for sanding and detail work:


This one has sanding strips all around it. It takes off like a race car, so it's a good shoulder workout!

And another one:

I named this the Dreaded Dremel...Scared me at first, because it can rip up the wood very quickly if you're not careful!

Here is the area where the Dremel was put to use:


Front Detail work. Top section "Dremel'd". Bottom section still has stain and such in it.

I decided to smooth out the edges a bit more on the front panel. Here's the finished project:


After using the Dreaded Dremel, I used the rotating sander, then hand sanded to finish out the edges.

 This is Bella...she keeps me company!

To help out, our good friend Paul helped cut a board to fit for the seat. Here's that plus almost everything sanded. (I still have nooks and crannies to sand, but this is the chair down to it's natural look.)

What do you think? I'm now trying to decide whether to put a clear coat on it, or to add any kind of stain. I love the grain so I might try to maintain the way it currently looks. Still a few more nooks and crannies to sand, then begins making of chair cushions and so on....

More to come on this...

Those who Trust

It seems as though God has been reminding me of a few things lately. There has been a wave of people that I've been talking with about the issue of trust and I think so many of our day to day questions and struggles come down to that simple question: "Do you trust me?"

I've written three facebook notes about this topic already, (Here are the links if you'd like to read those as well: Do you trust me? -Part One-, Do you trust me? -Part 2-, Do you trust me? -Part 3-) but I must say that God has shed some new light on the topic once again. Whether it's finances, relationships, plans for life, and so on...I keep getting the sense that God is asking us to take a few steps back, take a look at what is currently going on in your life and see where we need to trust. 

Where do you find yourself doubting or questioning God?
Where do you find yourself taking matters into your own hands?
Where do you find your security? Where do you want to find your security?
What is God asking you to trust him with in your life? 

Trust comes down to this...I believe that trust is a hinge to our faith, the very thing that helps us turn corners and come closer or further from God. If we have faith, that will also require something from us...TRUST.

This picture kind of reminds me of what trust might look like...

You see, trust will always take a risk. It'd be safe to say that almost every person alive has been in a situation where someone or something could not be trusted. The fact of the matter is, we can't ever fully protect ourselves from being hurt in those moments where we trust someone or something.

Check out this link:
Balance Beam- Francis Chan

The scriptures remind us over and over and over again that we were created by a God that is worthy of our trust, can be trusted, wants us...to trust Him. Just like the balance beam, maybe there is something that we are clinging to instead of Christ. 

So if we really step back, do we trust him? Can we trust him with everything?
Remember that God is with you right now, wherever you are as you read this...

Maybe he is asking, "(Insert your name here), do you trust me? I know that you already trust me with ______________, but I want you to completely trust me. That means even trusting me with the one thing that you want to hold on to and take care of without my help. So will you trust me with _____________? Do you trust me completely?" 

So my question for you is this:
What is keeping you from fully trusting God today?


"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."
-Psalm 9:10-

My prayer is that as you take the risk to trust in Him, that God would continue to surprise you with his faithfulness and love. He is so good.
Those Who Trust- Enter the Worship Circle

Estoy enamorado...
Abby

Let's make this easier...

For those of you who have tried to sign up for updates, my apologies for the confusion!
The process has now become much much easier for you! A friend helped me find the link to properly install an email sign up. (Thank you!!!)


If you look to the right upper column, you will now see a box that says, "Subscribe via email" right above it. All you have to do is enter your email address in the box and click "Subscribe." You will also receive an email to that account where you will verify your subscription.


I hope this simplifies things for you! Once you sign up, each blog that I post will go directly to your email account. Thanks for following my blog!


-Abby-

Seeking Him

Lately, I have been dwelling on this thought...this thought that no matter how much of God we know at this very moment, there is always so much more that he wants to show us. I can honestly admit that I have felt guilt in the past for not spending more time with the Lord...but now, I find myself just wanting to be in his presence, just because I can get a better glimpse at who he is.

Whether it's getting into the Word, spending time in worship, or taking some quiet time for prayer, there is something deeply transforming that I am coming to know.

He keeps surprising me. He keeps reminding me how loved and treasured I am. He keeps pursuing me. I can't really explain it...but if you imagine being giddy about a crush, or interested in getting to know someone more, that's what it feels like. Those times where maybe your heart skips a beat at the thought of that person...the thought of spending more time with them, or even laughing or smiling uncontrollably at the joy that person brings to your heart. That's what it's like. It's pretty amazing!



She told us that her flowers were for Jesus.
(Dominican Republic 2005-06)



No, I'm not going to say that I am "dating Jesus"...but wow, let me tell you. His love is Extravagant...there's soooo much of it to know and experience and learn...As amazed as I feel, he continues to surprise me. What a humbling thought to know that no matter how much closer we come to God, we will be tipping the iceberg of who God is every single time. I love that all the adjectives combined will never be enough or too extreme of a description of him. He will always surpass our human capabilities to describe him.   

Check out this video link:

The More I Seek You- By: Kari Jobe

My prayer today is that God will surprise you with his love, and that you will want to want more of Jesus.

Estoy enamorado de su amor...

-Abby-

YWAM DTS in Dominican Republic

To find out more about my upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic, click on this link:


YWAM DTS in Dominican Republic


There will be a tab at the top of the page, titled "Jarabacoa". That is the specific base I will be at. (There are 3 bases alone in the D. R.) My Discipleship Training School (DTS) will take place from July 24-December 11th, 2011.


Here's a pic from a previous trip to the D.R.

Sunrise in La Vega, D.R.

More to come!

Sweet Tupelo, I have a Blog!

Well hello there! Welcome to my first official blog. I decided to start a blog for those of you interested in seeing what God has been doing in my life, and how I am growing closer to him. The title of my blog is "Enamorado" (Eh-nah-mor-ah-doh), which is spanish for the word "enamored". I have come to know that with each day, if we ask God to come closer to us, he will.
In the book of James, we are told, "Come near to God, and he will come near to you." My hope is that through blogging, I will be able to share how I am becoming more captivated and enamored by the God who wants to be in a close and personal relationship with each of us. He hasn't failed me yet... 


Thanks for joining me! I look forward to sharing with you.


Abby