Welcome to my new blog home! I’m ready to take you on the tour of each room, hoping you will feel comfortable enough to help yourself to what you find in the refrigerator afterward. You know, every piece of furniture, paint color, and in this case, every tab, holds a story. If I could, I would stand in the center of each room and share them all with you. All my stories of the way God led me to each decision.
An armoire stands next to the wall in the entryway of my house, a towering piece of inlaid, meticulous beauty like a question hidden underneath your dinner plate waiting to be answered. “How did you get that piece of furniture through the door,” they ask wide eyed, every time, on the first visit through the door.
My answer is always the same, “It breaks down into several pieces. Yes, even the eight foot mirror that weighs several hundred pounds is a separate piece.” It is a beloved wedding gift from my in-laws, one we’ve taken apart and put back together like a jigsaw puzzle in eight household moves.
And just like that armoire, all the pieces in the architecture of this new space come together to create a piece of art; the scaffolding of story holding it up to welcome you into this community.
I called Michelle to ask about designing a new header knowing her skills were way out of my league. Though we share a mutual pastor friend, we’ve never met. She lives in Chattanooga but we felt like next door neighbors after the first five minutes of conversation.
When I told her how much I love this particular design, especially the script used in Redemptions Beauty, she replied with a story that still gives me chills when I share it:
“Since you’ve chosen that particular design, I’d love to share the story of the script that I used for Redemptions Beauty… My dad is a font designer and he based “Petronella” on his mother’s handwriting. I have never used it for any project before, but felt that it was perfect for your blog.
My grandmother lived two doors down from the Frank family in Holland and during WW2 she travelled to South Africa to serve as a nurse. She missed home desperately, so she filled whole journals with daily letters to her sister. Meanwhile, her sister back home was also writing journals. Whenever possible, they convinced various soldiers, doctors, etc. to deliver the books to each other. Petronella stayed in South Africa after the war and, after many years of waiting and much prayer, met my grandfather. She became a mid-wife and delivered all the babies in a small, poor, mountain town for years. After she died, my Dad’s aunt sent him her journals. They are absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful to read. I thought you might appreciate that there’s true heart and much redemption tied into the typography.”
God embodies every intricate detail of our lives, even in the design of a new blog site. He loves in the way that makes our heart sing, our tears pool, and cheeks hot with the revelation of being truly known.
The more I learn of Christ, the more I know that nothing in life is random. The font called Petronella that carries the handwriting of redemption for decades and rests here on my blog, that isn’t random. And your visit here today, that’s not random either. Go ahead, look around and then come back with a friend. We have a lot of food in the refrigerator.
I’m so grateful to Arthur at Outstanding SetUp for his tireless and quick response to all my emails that took my blog from a .com to .org. For Jeff Goins being kind enough to have a conversation with me about next steps for my writing life and Dan King for the way he so generously gave up his time to teach me the technical foreign language of setting up Mail Chimp. I’m thankful for Michelle Newton at Tiny Bungalow Design for making it all look so pretty and for Kandi Pfieffer’s photography skills and her enthusiasm about shooting on a freezing day in the middle of an empty field with a zebra chair!
It’s beautiful. The header, the font and its heartwarming story, and your thoughts about (non)randomness and God. I how God will pour blessings over your writings.
Thanks Pamela, you are my first comment on my new site. What a pleasure to have you here.
It is beautiful and you are blessing us all with your thoughts.
Yay, you figured it out. So glad to see you here Paula, love you.
beautiful, shelly. looking forward to the places the Lord is taking you.
steph
Thank you sweet Steph, appreciate that.
I read this and I think of God’s name, Lord Will Provide. He has hasn’t he? And he does provide… always. I join you in a spirit of gratitude as a witness to God’s faithfulness to the vision he is fulfilling in your life. For you were created, my friend, for such a time as this…
(And this will make you laugh—I have a huge armoire in my entry way. We built our house with a niche for it. It too is a puzzle. The last time we moved we wondered if it’s pegs can take much more. It belonged to my husband’s grandparents. I don’t think it is quite as big as the one inside your door with eight foot mirrors. 🙂 Random???? Love this place. Love the font and the story behind it.)
Of course you have an armoire in your entry way, I think we were really meant to be sisters. 🙂 Thank you for walking this journey with me, its so good to have friends who can point to the past with a smile and say look where you have come from. so grateful for you Dea, you just don’t know how much.
Love the new design. So elegant yet simple. Simply beautiful.
I’m so happy to cheer you on in this writing journey. Your words are grace-filled.
Thank you Denise, I value your encouragement more than you know.
Shelley,
Love it, love it! Everything about your new site is beautiful, including your family portrait, and your thought provoking stories! Thanks so much for sharing your gift
of converting your sight to story!
So glad you are with me on this crazy writing journey Sherri.
Everything here is gorgeous – the story, the site, you. Blessings in your “new home”!
Thank you Tresta, so nice to know you were here taking the tour.
Hi Shelly, so wonderful to meet you at the Amia Conference in Greensboro. I like your new blog very much and will be contacting Michelle. Blessings to you as your story continues to unfold before a watching world. He will never leave you or forsake you! hugs, Janie
So glad to meet you too Janie. The conference was great wasn’t it? I know you will love Michelle.
Yes, indeed. The three streams were evident: Scripture, Sacrament, Spirit. A perfect balance to faciiliate fullness in Christ . . .
love your words – however they are wrapped – but this is exquisite, Shelly.
very, very YOU.
and how the font bit happened?? talk about wow. thanks for sharing that seemingly insignificant piece. it’s often those “small” things that are really so big.
I love how everyone says its so “me”. And yes, life explodes joy in all the little details.
I love this, Shelly. I love how God weaves our stories together. And I love how He helps us so passionately along the way. And I love that picture of you that welcomes me into this new space.
Jen, I know you’ve tasted His goodness. Glad we share the knowledge that nothing is random in this life.
Oh Shelly! Your new home takes my breath away. It’s lovely. And warm. And a such a place of encouragement. Grateful for you and the gifts you share so freely.
I remember vividly, sitting with you on those couches at Laity and talking about building websites. And here it is just five months later. Grateful for you too Kristin, really.
This is just beautiful! I love it. So welcoming and lovely. Thank you for inviting us all in.
So glad you are here TeriLynne and so grateful that Kristin introduced us. She is good at that isn’t she?
Look how beautiful you are!
Well, you know how to make a girl blush now.
Oh I feel right at home…and feel like I know you more, if that’s possible from a back lit screen! {HUGS}
That is a good thing, that you feel as if you know me more. The best thing I’ve heard someone say so far Nikki. Hugging you back.
Love it honey. Worth all the hard work!
I couldn’t have done it without your love and tireless support and belief in me babe. Thank you.
Simply lovely, and not at all random…Thanks, Shelly, for inviting us 🙂
So glad to see you here Dolly. Hope you’ll come back and stay awhile. 😉
Your new home is wonderful! It’s your words, heart and soul that touch me. I know that you not only glorify God through your sharing but also you bring light into the lives of your many followers. You are weaving a beautiful tapestry of words!
Thank you for always believing in me Vicki. So thankful for you and for introducing me to your lovely daughter. Your family is a gift.
I told you already, but I’ll say it again: I love this place! Because it reflects the beautiful heart of YOU. I love, too, how I didn’t have to even knock. I just walked right in and made myself at home. 🙂
I love your site too. It’s so fun to *re-decorate* and spruce things up a bit isn’t it? You are so kind Jennifer, I’m so encouraged by your comment.
Your space is just lovely! LOVE the story of the typography… absolutely amazing. Visiting today from the #TellHisStory link up. Blessings,
lauren
http://www.mercyinkblog.com
So glad you stopped by Lauren. That Jennifer is awesome isn’t she?
It’s just beautiful, Shelly. Perfect. I love the story of Michelle’s grandmother. Wow! Already you have a rich history here.
I know. And isn’t it just like God to throw in a marvelous story with deep meaning in the creation of a new website?
Wow, what a great story – and a great reminder that our God is concerned with the details.
Beautiful, just like you.