projects finally done

A week or two before I starting work, I finished some projects that I had in the works for a very long time.  The first one is some light fixtures I made for the dining room. 

Actually, I had actually finished them a long time ago but just hadn't put them up.  The main reason was that with the amount of light bulbs we have burned out while we've lived here, I knew the dining room ones had to go soon.... I didn't want to put them up only to have to take them off shortly thereafter to change the light bulb.  But I finally got impatient and did it.

Two weeks later, one light bulb burned out.

I kid you not.

At first when I hung on, I thought it didn't look so good, but once I got the other on up, I loved it.  They  add some class, whimsy and character to the room.

I knew what I wanted - had an idea in my head of how they should look - so I just had to come up with a way to make them.  They are made from embroidery hoops, clear thick plastic sheets, a little bit of white paint, wire and plastic bobbles that I bought on clearance after Christmas about 7 years ago (yes, I did haul them all the way here....)
The second project was started in January when I drew out letters and asked Marlo to cut them out of plywood for me.  The problem with this idea was that I needed to collect pennies - lots and lots of pennies - almost 900 pennies, in fact.

Marlo kindly cut the letters, I stained them and then I waited and waited while gathering all the coins.  When I finally had enough (almost enough - I still need 22 pennies that will get attached as I collect them!), I separated them into four piles according to how new and old looking they were.  I accordance with the word FADE, they started bright and shiny on top and gradually faded into dull, dirty pennies.

This "art piece", if I may call it that, is to remind us that material things do just that - they fade.  They don't last.  Everything might start nice, beautiful and seemingly perfect but they will always, eventually fade and deteriorate.  The only thing - the ONLY thing - that lasts is God, His Word and His promises. Everything else will wither, fade, and eventually become nothing - only God is eternal.  And better than that, He is eternally Good.