High Point Market

Hi friends, High Point furniture Market in North Carolina has ended. One of the great things about being at market is being able to see and hear the reaction to our new designs by friends who know us and are familiar with our work as well as to meet new designers and retailers who have never seen us before. It's always refreshing to share the ways the Lord has influenced our work and to have the privilege to be present in moments with people when they are discovering who we really are and who is at the core of our work. Sometimes tears actually fall when the connection is made and we have given, as well as received, prayer right in our booth. With the visual overload we create, its fun to see which piece of furniture emerges as the star of the show. This show, as with all shows, there wasn’t one piece that was the attention grabber there were many. So hmm.... which one was it??? Which piece received the most notable comments? One piece may have a story of how God sent us an instant message concerning how to solve a problem; another has a story of how the inspiration came from an alter in a cathedral. Honestly, almost every piece has a God story surrounding it so it's hard to choose. What we do know is that as artists, in what is termed as the ‘secular world,’ there is a place for us who openly choose to put our faith in God in our designs. So, is it art, furniture or both? Of all the over the top pieces the we presented, I have to say the most talked about piece in this show goes to........The Scripture Dining Table. People seemed to have a moment when they realized what the table is literally saying. Keep in mind that it's a regular dining table but it's what we did to it that causes people to stop and think. Now, here comes the symbolism. I feel like this is technical jargon but this is what takes it from ordinary to extraordinary. First, the ordinary table itself has meaning being equated with the human heart. The basis of this meaning comes from what scripture teaches us. It says the Holy Spirit inscribes the word of the Lord upon it, our heart tablet. In this case the table is functioning as the heart tablet. The bible also calls the heart the alter where matters are resolved. Figuratively speaking, the table functions as the heart in the owner's life. The finish on the table is our espresso finish; black plaint that is sanded down in various places. Black is the color you get when you mix all the colors together. This represents all the people of the world. God delights in diversity. The sanding down and distressing process of the wood represents God’s use of trial in our lives to show us amazing things that we wouldn’t see without them. As Christians we are simply called to follow Christ and love the people in this world. But how we do that in real life completely depends on our individuality. The circle inlay on the table is 4” wide. Four is the number for world impact by way of the four corners of the earth. Prophetically, the number represents something with world impact primarily signifying the four compass points: north, south, east, and west. In its intent or effect, Divine intervention acts spiritually involving the four winds of creation running the course of the four quarters of the earth; a Divine command that encompasses humanity and its planet. While seven is the number of global impact focusing on continents of the earth, the number four emphasizes the planet within the orb. The circle is representative of the cycle of life that we start and end in the same place, with God. We carved the words from one of the ‘Be Attitudes’ Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled,” in the center of the circle inlay. Incidentally, the inlay represents us being grafted into the family of God through Christ. Finally, the design is complete with a five inch border around the table that is overlaid with pages of distressed scripture. This finish says many different things. In some ways I'm reluctant to give a specific meaning because, as with the bible itself, God talks individually to the person. Suffice it to say that the very idea of the scraping aspect speaks volumes concerning how biblical truths sometimes have a scraping effect on us. If you could design your table to express anything you wanted about your life, or your family’s life, what would you incorporate in it? What would it look like? If you had the opportunity to create a table that would be passed down through your family what would you choose to be your legacy design? Think about it and when you’re ready, we’ll be here to help bring your creation to life. The great part is, with Emmanuel you can really make that happen. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson