new day, new dream

So much has happened this summer. So much has changed in me in the past few months. We had the chance to let my little sister take a retreat from home life and live with my husband and I for a few months, that was a huge blessing. I went through a tv and gameboy binge after she left. I felt a brief condensed period of what newly empty nesters must feel. Now awaking from that and diving into creating. I've been weaving, sewing, drawing and gardening.

Today I woke up, drank my morning cup of coffee and got ready for the day as my husband serenaded me with his new songs. He has taken this year off so far to work on his music, writing and recording (at home). He has been creating handmade home recorded albums (an ep and full length) to send to friends when he's finished them. A season of pursuing creating as it were. I felt like going to an antique store this morning, so that is what we did. Jamin had recently visited the downtown of the town we recently found our home church in Gladewater, Texas. He goes on prayer walks around the downtowns of local towns, a practice we picked up at our last church in Orlando, FL "City Beautiful Church". It's really rewarding, take some time and intentionally walk around an area and pray for it, for the people, for awakening, expecting the Holy Spirit to move. He'd taken a prayer walk recently in Gladewater and recognized that most of the downtown is made up of Antique stores. So we drove there and visited every one of them and ate lunch at the local taqueria. He had noticed this one empty space, one floor, open loft retail space with a back room, concrete floors, high ceilings, glass store front and door. He showed it to me when we visited today. My mind started reeling with ideas for the space. "I could hold classes, it could be a gallery, coffee shop, creating, vintage store." It's up for rent, so we called and it's just $400. We got home with a list of what we'd have to do to make our dream a legitimate business, what we'd need, what we could do, brainstorming. I'm excited, I really want this to happen. God showed it to Jamin first and then me separately shortly after, so I say He planted the dream. 

All day I was taking pictures of my favorite finds at the different antique stores, this giant 6' by 7' shelving unit made up of little 5" cubbies, this circa 1920 mini printing press, little bottles, linens, a rug, juice glasses. I found a lot of stuff I really liked but have gotten better at waiting to buy. God had a present waiting for me at our last stop, this little missions thrift store. As we talked to the guy working there I saw out of the corner of my eye some boxes of polaroid film. I asked him if those were for sale and he pulled out 2 polaroid cameras and 2 unopened boxes and one unopened foil case of film. I bought the Spectra system Polaroid camera and he threw in the two 779 packages of film (a professional  quality version of 600 series film)(which doesn't work with the spectra camera but i have a few 600 series cameras it will work in) I've been wanting a spectra camera for a while and the patience paid off because I got one for $5. Thanks God for such an awesome day of old stuff and new dreams. 

my test picture of the trees outside our current apt.