Makeover Time! ~ Cabinets

Today I have chosen to post an ongoing project as I can't wait until it is finished...literally!  This kitchen is so wonderful, I love it, it has character.  I like how the previous owners were creative in making the flat 1959 cabinetry have some dimension.  I don't however, like what they used.  It is too bulky for one...and it isn't wood...it is what I fondly call 'sawdust' board.  What happens when that wonderful pressed wood dust gets damp?  It swells...soooo...in a kitchen I actually cook in...that just isn't going to work.  We also had a wonderful old Jenn-Air range, which in many ways, I wanted to keep, but realistically it was better to replace it with a newer range.  Last on our list of changes is the counter top...obviously this will be with us for some time, but the small section near the range did get a makeover as the one that was there previously wasn't attached, was too short and too wide...so Carl made a new top that is just right for the tight space and it looks real nice. 

This is what the kitchen looked like when we moved in.

Notice the small counter near the range.

Here is a close up of the cabinets and the water...steam in this case...damage.

I found The Lettered Cottage, Tudor Style Before & After online and decided that is what I wanted to do.  If you read how they did it, they used nice cabinet quality ply-wood, we opted for thin hardwood boards as it would be easier even though it is more expensive that ripping ply-wood.  After stripping all the paint off, I sanded it down and used Kilz primer/sealer on them before painting them.  We have a long way to go yet, the bottom cabinets are all painted, the drawers have all their 'pulls' but the cabinets are still waiting for their knobs.  We have all of the top cabinets to do still but, as it is gardening season now...it will have to wait a bit.

For the drawers I striped all the paint layers off, sanded them really well and put a coat of primer on them before painting...this is the bathroom drawer I am working on here...

Carl had a great time taking all the added 'wood' off...apparently...the cabinets used to be green.  I am in the process of stripping the door that is missing...it's on the counter...right ...there...

This is how far we are on this project, it will be many more months until it is finished as we need to get moving on the garden. 

Here is the cabinet top Carl made, it is a small area that doesn't have a lot of direct use, so we just used pine, the rest of the counters will possibly be copper...we shall see.  I have been sealing this counter weekly with Linseed oil.

Rest & Reflection ~ Offerings

The word offering in Hebrew is korban, the root of this word means specifically, to draw near...so to offer up something to Yahweh is to be able to draw near to Him.  That was the whole point of the offerings and still is the whole point of the offerings. How does this apply to us?  Understanding the offerings helps us understand Yahweh and how we should approach Him.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever...

Here is a little about what we have learned on offerings. 

Leviticus 1 - Olah offering - elevation offering, complete burnt offering, voluntarily given from the heart, what are we to give voluntarily from the heart to Yahweh?  Us.  All of who we are.  How?  By loving Yahweh and loving others as we love ourselves. Yeshua is an olah offering, he voluntarily laid his life down for us, he is our example of how to live Torah.  Yeshua said, "If you love me; you will keep my commands" (John 14:15, Romans 12:1)  

Leviticus 2 - Minchah offering - grain offering, voluntarily given from the heart, part offered, part kept by priests. Seasoned with salt, the salt of the covenant. (Lev 2:13)  Salt is very important here, we are to be salt to the earth (Matt 5:13, Mark 9:49-50)  Salt is a purifier a preserver, we are to be pure and preserve the Torah, the Gospel of Yeshua.   Yeshua is the grain offering.  Bread of Life. And He (Yeshua) took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying," This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me".  (Luke 22:19) 

Leviticus 3 - Shalamim offering - Peace offering, voluntarily given, shared with priests the persons bringing it and Yahwah, the Passover is a peace offering,  Fellowship offering.  Fellowship one with another, restore and build up the whole house of Yahweh...be at peace one with another...reconcile differences in walking out Torah.  Yeshua is our Passover, we have passed from death to life in Him. (Ephesians 2, Ezekiel 37:15-19)

These first three offerings have many choices, they are free will, from the heart, voluntary offerings.  Every offering of an animal was unblemished, the grain offering was of the best.  We are to bring our best before Yahweh, always, with a cheerful heart, not grudgingly.   

Leviticus 4 - Chat'at offering - Sin offering,  mandatory offering for unintentional sin...For all have sinned...(Romans 3:23) It is completely burnt up, in two places, the main part being outside the camp.  Yeshua is our sin offering (Ephesians 2, Colossians 1:14-29, Hebrews 13:11-12)

Leviticus 5 - Asham - guilt offering, mandatory, like sin offering totally burnt up in two places, the main part being 'outside the camp'.  For a status change from being guilty of sin to being restored.  If it was something stolen, damaged, lost, etc. it was to be restored and increased by one-fifth. Yeshua is our guilt offering..."Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing". (Luke 23:34)

These two offerings are limited in the choices as they relate to sin.  We are limited to our choices when we sin, there is a mandatory repentance to restore us to right relationship with Yahweh before we can approach Him with our voluntary offerings.  Again, every offering was unblemished, the best there can be. 

So much has been lost to us and is now being restored, very quickly.  I am amazed at how much is available to us in this time.

Shavuah tov! 


To learn more please visit:

 
Sheepfold Gleanings *
Torah portion 'comentary' for this week, Vayikra

119 Ministries *
Apologetics from a Hebrew perspective, very Berean.  "Test Everything" is their motto and their hope is that we all do our homework.



*(Any sites I link to does not necessarily imply that I agree 100% with everything they teach, we are all learning and none of us has all the answers.  You know?) 

Surrounded by Beauty!

I have a tendency to forget that life is more than being, it is also about doing.  Sure, I do lots of things during a day...most of them tedious, washing clothes, cleaning, making meals and such...I really enjoy reading and learning and peeling paint off bathroom counters! (a future post, maybe?)  That is just normal stuff for me.  The doing I am talking about is the doing I don't do...do you follow?  It's getting outside, in public...I don't do that too well.  This week, my goal is to get outside, at least once a day, for more than 30 minutes.  It's warming up, I can do that whether it is in the yard or not, I must get outside.  This is what I am missing hiding out in the bathroom all day...

Yesterday was beautiful and what was I doing all day?  I wasn't outside...not until my husband came home and booted Abigail and I out for a walk.  It was glorious to be outside and I wanted more...so, we went down to the river...the 'Mighty Columbia'...to take a peak at the VERY low water...there is a dam issue downstream...should I rephrase that?  SOooo....they let the water out.  Last year about this time it was flooding, this year...it looks like the tide is out!  Even though the water should be there...if there were no dams it would look very different...maybe something like this...who knows. 

 

I may not get many more pictures like this...

Or this...

 They are going to be on their own before I know it...I need to make the most of what I have left before they start out on their own journey...

alone.

~Blessings to you!