by Cathy Baker | Pauses, Seasonal |

Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt?
There’s something about seeking out specific items within a certain time limit that puts a pep in our step! Granted, most hunts are minutes long but this one is more about slowing our pace, encouraging us to pause and to see simple objects in the light of God’s Word.
We started creating scavenger hunts in the Creative Pauses Facebook Group last year and we’ve never looked back.
So here’s the scoop!
- It begins today and ends Saturday, April 2nd, at
noon EST 6PM EST
- Finish all five hunts by Saturday and you’ll be entered into a $25.00 Amazon gift card giveaway.
- When you finish all five, come back to this blog post and leave a comment saying you’re finished. (We’d also love to hear what you enjoyed most about the hunt.)
- If you like, snap photos of the items as you go and post them in the daily 1 PM “Share your pictures here” posts in the Facebook Group. Everyone enjoys seeing the various pictures but they’re not required to win. Have fun!
Hunting for objects + pause + reading the living and active Word + pause + meditating on His Word = a much-needed oasis for the heart, soul, and mind.

Download a printable version here.
If you’re a woman who loves Jesus and desires to grow in Christ in biblical community, join the 2K+ women in the Creative Pauses Facebook Group today!
by Cathy Baker | Faith, Tiny House |

I tried. Really, I did.
If you read Tiny House Tuesday’s The Red Door No More, you might remember the giddiness that erupted after painting the front door chartreuse.
For months, the color lived up to its name ⏤ Frolic.
She was a bright pop of color during the day, but when night fell, the color glowed in the dark like a fluorescent beam on steroids. Bless her heart.
The chartreuse color prompted more than one smile during its time on the hill, but the sharp lemon-lime shade constantly battled the black-pane window nearby. I gave peace a try and purchased a set of floral pillows in hopes of softening the hardened edges of black and chartreuse. But the only thing that softened was my resolve. Let’s just say the giddiness I felt slowly faded, unlike the color Frolic SW 6703.
I love the color pink. Always have.
But it didn’t make the initial cut because I didn’t want my tiny working studio to be mistaken for a children’s playhouse. It can sound like one all day long, but look like one? Sweet mercy, no.
However, after six painted sample sheets, enough paint chips to wallpaper the entire tiny house, and a robust covering of primer, Jazz Age Coral SW 0058 stepped up and took its rightful place. Goodbye, chartreuse. Hello, pink! Not just any pink, mind you, but one with the softness of cotton candy and a pinch of peach. Hopefully, soon-to-be-added darker pieces like a wreath, outdoor light, and planter will help to ground the color pink to the point of pleasure.
So, whatcha think? Isn’t she pretty in pink?



In October, I shared my dad’s bladder cancer diagnosis. Thank you for the outpouring of your prayers. His surgery on October 29th went very well. The lymph nodes are clear, and the prognosis is very good, to God be the glory!
Watch for next Tuesday’s post, “5 Ways to Prepare Your Soul for December and A Christmas Gift for You”, which is currently scheduled as the final post for The Tiny House on the Hill in 2019. I’m not one to “skip” over Thanksgiving and aim directly for December but this season has been a different one, and that’s okay. I hope you’ll understand the sooner-than-normal Christmas focus next week. And let’s face it, preparing our soul for December days can’t come soon enough.
So, what’s your front door color and what do you love about it?
by Cathy Baker | Faith, Tiny House |

Do you see it?
Squinting may be required but the end of our building journey is in sight. Somebody pinch me.

Brian continues to work tirelessly to finish the tiny house because he loves me, but also because he believes God has His own plans for glory through the writing, shared community, and joy that will take place within this 144 square foot space.

WordPress experienced a hiccup when the last Tiny House Tuesday posted, so if you missed When Two Littles Love a Little Loft, you can catch it here. In it are pictures of the reading nook/loft area in all of its skeletal beauty…that is, until now.
Since that post, Brian built steep narrow steps that lead to the loft seen above. Because the loft floor is the reading nook’s ceiling, both measure the size of a regular twin mattress, but the pitched roof creates a roomier feel. Can all six grandkids fit up here? Yep, as long as they like to cuddle, and I happen to know that’s one of their superpowers. A fluffy rug is ready to roll once the floor is painted.

As you can see, Brian has done quite a bit since last month. The nook’s exterior wall is drywalled and we’re currently installing shiplap to the interior, with a slick coat of seafoam green to soon follow.
Look up and you’ll spot an unassuming piece of plywood attached to the loft wall. But its purpose is mighty! It will hold our split unit, providing cool air in our sweltering summer months, and heat when fall folds into winter.
The second Gothic window was set to go in the split unit’s space but we soon realized the unit had only two choices of where it could it go, the loft or over the antique mantle. Need I say more? I miss not having the second window in the back but it’s just one of many ways I’m learning to be flexible along this journey.

The view from inside the reading nook facing the steps.
And then there are tiny moments like this that offer pure delight.
The space beneath the stairs caught my eye, and all kinds of creative, crazy ideas began to bubble to the surface. Perhaps it could be a drop-box for the kids to crawl in and under, or the top step could latch, creating a place to drop my broom and other necessities. The list goes on, but a hidden bookcase was the clear winner. I mean, what good is a reading nook without a place to store our favorite books?
And finally, if you missed the picture of the tiny house being lit up for the first time in its 1+ year journey, check it out on Instagram. It’s something to behold, trust me. When we purchased the Gothic window, an aged opaque diamond-patterned adhesive covered the glass. We went back and forth, trying to decide whether to leave it as is or scrape it off. In the end, we chose to leave it. The long-awaited image of softened light beaming through the old church window at night is now a reality.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. It will not end once the building is complete. In fact, it’s just the beginning. Instead of building projects, we’ll share what God is doing inside the studio and ways you can join in the fun.
If you’ve not yet subscribed to The Tiny House on the Hill, now’s a great time to join our community! You’ll receive a “Spot God Every aDy” calendar, bonus information, and bi-monthly posts sent directly to your inbox. Simply type your email address in the top sidebar under “Join Our {tiny} Community.” It’s that easy.
For those who’ve been on this journey for a while, I’d love to know your favorite project. If you’re just joining, which of the above projects — the steps, the loft, the nook, or the hidden bookcase — do you like the most?
Thanks for stopping by and taking a minute to share. You’re the best! 🙂
by Cathy Baker | Faith, Faith |

Because surely biblical community and coffee go hand-in-hand.
For instance, remember the eavesdropping that took place in a North Carolina cafe last October? (If not, you can read about it here.) My being tucked away in a dark corner of a coffee shop isn’t unusual, but my willingness to interrupt the conversation of two young women I’d never met? Highly unlikely.
If you know me or have followed my writing for two minutes, you know I’m an introvert to the core. I love people but quickly crumble inside without ample space to breathe. Tapping keys, not stranger’s shoulders, is more my style.
But God.
Two words that weigh as heavy as the world He came to save.
Who needs Once Upon a Time when But God starts the story of every believer?
My story began three decades ago, but God used two young strangers as a catalyst to reboot my sluggish spirit.
“God wired us for biblical community. Yes, even us introverts. Since moving to the country, I’ve sensed a tug to be involved with women at a nearby campus. I don’t know one woman yet, but God does and I look forward to seeing what He will do. Want to join me in praying for God’s lead on that particular adventure? (I’d love to pray for yours too!))” – from my post, The Day Eavesdropping Inspired This Titus 2 Woman to Tears
I touch on the answer to this prayer in a follow-up post, The Night This Titus 2 Woman Hosted a Tea Party. Biblical community involves more than simply gathering together, but spending time with our small group women, getting to know them, and allowing them to get to know me feels like a healthy first step for this late-blooming introvert.
In fact, after I type this post, the list-making begins in preparation for our church’s women’s retreat this weekend. And this might be a good time to define the word journey, as used in the title of this post.
Journey: a passage or progress from one stage to another (dictionary.com)
Staying home, drinking coffee from my afternoon mug (yes, that exists), writing, playing with my grandkids, organizing organizational books currently stuffed in a cluttered closet⏤these are comfortable places for me. Traveling, sharing a room with even the best of choices (and she is!), being with truly wonderful people 24/7, and all that goes with this is not comfortable for me.
But God is doing a new thing, I perceive it.
He is making a way through my comfort zone, providing refreshment in a place that’s long felt deserted.
I have a long way to go on this journey with much to learn, but God is helping me progress from one stage to another. He’s not asking me to become someone I’m not. Instead, He’s empowering me to become someone I could not possibly be without Him.
Yes, the enemy whispers there’s too big of an age gap for connections to be made this weekend, but a young woman once told me that Titus 2 women are needed — and we Titus 2 women need them too. So I prepare with an excitement that’s surely not natural.
And to think it all began in the corner of a crowded, dimly-lit coffee shop.
“Practice of true community involves responsibilities and actions that do not come naturally to us.” – Jerry Bridges, True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia
In keeping with the definition of a journey, where would you say you are in relation to pursuing biblical community?
a. sipping lavender lattes in the cafe corner? (pre-clueful)
b. receiving words from strangers that could be a “direct message” from God? (open to receiving)
c. feeling oddly awkward that God might be up to something you didn’t expect? (contemplating)
d. taking steps to put yourself in the path of biblical community? (still clueless but desiring to become more like Christ to the point of obedience?)
e. signing up for a women’s retreat or other gatherings that are not normal for you? (becoming a comfort-zone crusher!)
f. fully integrated into biblical community (refusing to allow natural tendencies to overrule God’s supernatural power, putting the gospel on display in beautiful and unexpected ways.)
I’d love to know! Share in the comment section and you might just win your own eavesdropping session at Starbucks. {Told you I had a long way to go!}
Thanks for stopping by the Tiny House on the Hill. If you’d like to receive my bi-monthly posts, plus Tiny House Tuesday, where you can spot the latest photos and updates, subscribe in the sidebar. As a small token of my appreciation for your support of this ministry, you’ll receive three fall calendars with daily prompts to watch for God’s goodness, perhaps in ways you may not expect.
by Cathy Baker | Tiny House |

Okay, maybe our choice of flooring isn’t that surprising but it surprised me.
For over a year, I read magazines and pinned every floor that caught my eye, but this one never made it to the board.
It all began on a whim when we decided to “run in” to Liquid Lumbidators, as I call it, just to see what they had to offer. (This is like stopping by the Humane Society when you’re allergic to dogs but taking shots in hopes of one day adopting.)
Nothing stood out to me.
Until we spotted “Bull Barn Oak”. A few ideas began floating around in my brain while eying the sizable sample:
- Its pattern⏤white, gray, taupe, with a dash of mint and distressed⏤is sure to give the tiny space an older feel. Or at least that’s what I hope. With many of the windows being the efficient type, it needs a little aging. An antique mantel can’t carry that mission on its own.
- Because of the distressed pattern, the crisp white walls will be smooth and simple. Shiplap will crown the ceiling. The last thing I want is colors and textures vying for my attention when I walk through the door. Can’t we all just get along?
- This last point is sponsored by Brian’s sanity and delight. The entire floor (all 144 square feet of it) can be installed in one day. #bestdayever And, it was on sale, saving us hundreds of dollars. Let’s just say that’s quite the blessing at this particularly pricey point of the process.

{The picture doesn’t do the floor justice but it’s hard to control the lighting in a Lumbidator sort of place.}
I admit to having doubts whiz past me a time or two because I’d planned to use a solid color in hopes of making the tiny space seem not so tiny.
But for every doubt, a smile emerged as I imagined opening my door to this funky floor.
I’m not an interior decorator, I just know what I love, and it’s not very often we get to choose a “major” purchase based simply on delight. Will our choice of flooring look as I imagine when it’s installed in a couple of weeks? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
When is the last time you chose something based purely on delight?
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 34:7
“At root, what God delights in about us is that we delight in him.” — John Piper
Thanks for stopping by the Tiny House on the Hill! If you’d like to become a part of our *tiny* community, skip over to the sidebar for more information. Every other week, you’ll receive a note from me in the form of a blog post, sharing how we might see God at work in our lives and how this can transform our lives, as well as others.
One of the monthly posts, like this one, sheds a little light on the process (no pun intended) of building a tiny space of my own and hopefully inspires you to consider a way of finding your own space.