Editor’s note: Jeff and Linda Cathcart recently bought the old Pee Dee Presbyterian Church outside Mt. Gilead and are converting it into their home. Through weekly installments, they’re updating Speckled Paw readers on their progress; below is the fourth part of the series. For Part 1, click here. For Part 2, click here. For Part 3, click here.

On this rock I will build my church … just as the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, is the strength and foundation for all that is and all that ever will be, so goes the strength and foundation of our conversion from church to home.

The builders of the old Pee Dee Church intentionally placed boulders at each corner, intermittently along the perimeter, and pinned each massive hand-hewn timber underneath to ensure God’s house would rest on a firm foundation and endure the tests of time – and we’re thankful they followed the Jesus standard. When Jeremy Dunn (Quality Contracting Inc.) finished handcrafting our king-sized bed frame from the church pews, it turned out to be a striking Goliath (pardon the pun) – demanding the support built into the church’s foundation. And once the 300-pound granite countertop is added to the finished kitchen island (also handcrafted of church pews by Jeremy and his team), the fortitude of a firm foundation will be further tested.

The pew wood that was left over after creating the bed and island was repurposed to fashion wall cupboard shelves and a pots and pans rack for the kitchen. One of the two remaining intact pews is strategically placed below the center kitchen window, between the shelves, to serve as a cooks-cot where the cook can sit and sip between recipes.

The security system was added this week – no more stolen outhouses – and the appliances will be delivered ahead of the plumber and electrician early next week. The windows have been glazed, preserved and trimmed in black on the outside to match the new shingles to be added to the fellowship hall (laundry area, workshop, storage, etc.) also next week. The floor restoration will start as soon as the plumber and electrician have finished, which should be in about a week. More to come.

Next week, things will really begin to take shape as we start adding appliances and furniture – imagine a white and black (walls and floor) pallet with an assortment of vivid colors in home furnishings. God will continue to be magnified and glorified in His house, our home. Amen.