furniture

I think I mentioned remodeling our house in previous posts. In fact, today, new carpet is being installed as I write. I love that new carpet smell. Kind of like that “new car” smell, although I have never bought a new car myself.

In preparation for the new flooring, we decided to get rid of our old, faded, definitely used furniture and replace it with new. I might have mentioned it before, but we left our good furniture in Louisville, KY, when the business venture there did not work out. We left a lot of household stuff there, but as it turned out, we helped several new families to America (legally) and only brought what would fit in their suitcases.

So I had ordered a “bulk” pick-up from our city and started hauling items to the curb. I wound up putting it all outside too early, but it was supposed to rain in a few days, and I wanted whoever might need it to get anything they wanted from the pile of our discarded items.

About 4 PM that same day, the doorbell rang. An older woman asked me if she could have anything out there. I told her, “Of course. Help yourself, and it’s all free.” She started smiling big, turned to her daughter, and “signed” the good news. Her daughter is hearing-impaired.

As we went out to look at the items, the mother explained to me that her daughter bought the house a few doors down from us, but didn’t have the money to furnish it. So they were happy to take the chairs, end tables, and the sofa. I asked the mother, “What else does she need?” As it turned out, we were able to give her a platform for a queen-size bed, a desk, a small chest of drawers, drapes, a lamp, a few other items, and an older 32” flat screen TV. The family seemed really excited about receiving the TV.

That night, April and I shared how we were so happy that the items were taken and not simply going to the dump. We also invited the family to attend our church, which is about a block away. The church has sign language interpreters during the morning service.

The next day, I was reflecting on the event from the previous day and its timing. I was so excited about how God orchestrated it and prompted me to set the items out early before the bulk item pick-up date and before the rain. He is so amazing, how he can lead us and guide us and then use us to accomplish his will.

January 10th, 2021
by Amy Smalley

Isaiah 45:3 KJV
And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

The old adage says, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. We see that with clothing, furniture, electronics; but the same is true for us.

When we are out in sin, getting caught in the bondages of this world: pornography, fornication, drugs, alcohol; we are living a filthy life. We are “trash,” but God said He can make all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).

He can turn us from trash into treasure. He can free us from the traps and bonds Satan has used to ensnare us. If we simply ask Jesus into our hearts and repent of our sins, He can make us NEW!

Just as a good wife to her husband, to God we are more precious than rubies (Prov. 31:10). We are HIS treasure. Don’t let Satan tell you otherwise.

Corresponding Sermon: Brian Fulton 1/10/2021 AM

You really can “walk with God”. It’s not a clique only found in the Bible at all, but something you can ask for, something you can expect, count on, and do.

Leviticus 26:12 “And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”

Each morning my wife and I join hands to pray over our breakfast. We include the words, “and God lead us this day. Guide our steps. Direct us to those who we need to spend time with and when there give us your words to speak to them.” It’s not something we have memorized, so the actual words may come out different each time, but that keeps it fresh.

I knew of a child and when called upon to pray over their evening meal she said the same thing every night. It got to be kind of a joke to the whole family. In fact, it didn’t take long for it to get the nickname, “Prayer number 505.” The family got seated each night for dinner and settled by 5:05 PM.

I know God has guided my steps for most of my life. After all, He has lead me to my wife April, and I am now experiencing the fullness of what it means to be married, at least how God intends a marriage to be. But it seems as if in the last month his direction has been every day, and in the last week especially.

God has lead us to the right people, at the right time, to have the right conversations. A big blessing this past week has been putting together our new room, “The Conference Room”, as my wife labeled it, because it is there we meet with God. We dedicate that room for time with God, whether in his word, or in conversations with him, as we pray for friends, family and others around the world. Or perhaps we will just sit and wait for God to provide wisdom, understanding and direction for a particular need.

The original idea for this room only came about Sunday just over a week ago, and before a week could go by, the room has taken shape, and is only in need of a few final pieces, like photos hung on the wall of those we pray for. The room came about so quickly because we wrote out a list of what we wanted and we prayed over it. Then, early in the week, I told a friend of what we wanted. He mentioned, the next day, seeing a chair for our room at a new discount store where the proceeds go to build housing for those in need. A cause I can get behind and support, by shopping at the store.

So needless to say we visited the store and bought the majority of the pieces we desired from that store and the bookshelf came from a curbside, discard pile of a homeowner’s furniture. The bookshelf just needed a little cleaning up and some minor repairs. There have been times in my life when I may have been discarded, thrown out of someone else’s life and Jesus looked at me and said, “He just needs a little cleaning up and some minor repairs.”

My wife’s and mine first action in our new room was to pray, and dedicate it to God. For his purposes, to his Glory, and to advance his kingdom. This blog post was also written there, so from “The Conference Room” to your heart comes a message from God to you.

Dream with God. Ask him to make it happen. Write it down. Doing so will increase your faith. It will help you start seeing it even though it is not there. Then, ask God to lead you and guide you to the right places, at the right time, to have the right conversations. That is walking with God.

brady, mark a.

Words to inspire you

The Discarded Masterpiece

The Conference Room