Unless the Lord Builds The House
Early I learned that the story behind a painting was as important as the painting itself if it was going to minister to folks. As badly as I wanted to paint the old cabin nestled in the valley of the North Carolina mountains, in Plumtree, I couldn’t without a story. But God arranged us to get snowed in near the cabin one cold winter and I asked Linda to join me to go down in a borrowed jeep and let me take some photos. She reluctantly agreed, cause the temps were way below freezing and with the wind blowing extra hard, it was mighty, extra cold.
When we arrived we noticed footprints leading up to the cabin door and smoke rising from the chimney. As we got out into knee deep snow, Miss Kaye, the cabin’s owner, spotted us and called from the porch to hurry inside where it was warm. Linda hurried inside while I could not resist taking some magnificent photos. But Miss Kay called again and I ran to get warm myself.
Around the warmth of the wood stove Miss Kaye began telling stories about the cabin’s 100 year long history. They all were intriguing, and just as we were leaving she said, “I know this is not real important to you, but I can’t get it off my mind. Last week a plumber came out to dig some new sceptic line when he discovered the strangest thing. He asked me if I realized the cabin was anchored to a 200 foot diameter rock? I had to laugh, cause some folks wondered if this was a mystery cabin, cause it has survived three major floods that washed away barns, houses, and sent a pick up or two five miles down the valley. All I could do is sing that old children’s song, ‘Oh the wise man builds his house upon a rock…’”
Finally, I had a story and I knew the cabin was about to have its portrait made, for I knew the old cabin painted to hang in homes would be a constant reminder, “That unless the Lord build the house the builders labor in vain…“
Unless the Lord builds the house. . .
Its builders labor in vain
When the waters from heaven flow into the valley
The structure will fall to the pounding rain
Unless the Lord builds the house. . .
Its foundation is weak
The house will falter in times of trouble
Then a new shelter our heart will seek
But when the Lord builds our house. . .
We surrender our desires into His hands
And worry not, rather have faith in His work
And weather the storms
For He builds us on the rock instead of the sand.
––Jodie Lynne
FAQs
Returns & Refunds
If you’d like to return your item, our team will gladly work with you. If you’d like to return or exchange your item, please email us at store@cagelessbirds.com with your original order number and which item you’d like to return. Refunds and exchanges are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and we cannot refund initial shipping costs. When making a return, the customer may be asked to cover the cost of shipping. Please note that only unused and undamaged merchandise is eligible for a refund.
Insurance
All packages placed with USPS Priority Mail automatically are insured, meaning that if something happens to your package, our team is able to file a claim with USPS. This also applies to international orders placed with USPS Priority International Mail. If you would like your package to be insured, please be sure to select USPS Priority Mail (either domestic or international) at checkout. Please note that orders placed with USPS First Class Mail are NOT insured, and should something happen to your package, we will not be able to file a claim or offer a refund.
Restocking
We are constantly dreaming into new products and merchandise for our online store. All of our handmade goods are released in small batches. If you see something you love, we encourage you to act quickly as many of our new releases sell out very fast! Generally, our handmade items such as leather goods and pottery will be restocked, but styles and colors may vary. Please note that because these items are hand-crafted with care and excellence, times for restocking may also vary. Items such as CDs and books will be restocked regularly. If you have questions about a specific product that is out of stock, please email us and we’ll let you know if we are expecting to restock it in the future.
Shipping
Shipping
We are a small business and our team works diligently to fulfill orders as efficiently as possible. When placing your order, please allow 2-3 business days for your order to be processed. Please keep in mind that this processing time is needed, regardless of the shipping method you choose.
Order Tracking
Once your order has been fulfilled and sent out for shipping, you will receive a confirmation email to the email address you provided at the time of checkout. All orders are shipped via UPS Ground or USPS.
Schedule
Please note that our shipping team also staffs all Cageless Birds and 18 Inch Journey events. Therefore, our shipping schedule may fluctuate due to schools, retreats, or worship nights. If we anticipate any changes to our regular shipping schedule, we will post a notice on our website that will appear at checkout.
Sourcing
Ceramics
We source our clay locally from two different suppliers, one in Star, NC and the other in Asheville, NC. Our red clay is mined and processed from the red clay locally in our region. To learn more visit here.
Maker Coffee
In order to know exactly where our coffee comes from, we only buy single-origin coffee from farms and co-operatives that we can trace all the way back to the source.To learn more visit here.
Leather Goods
Our department is committed to partnering with companies that value sustainability and ethical work standards. Most of the companies we source from we’ve had relationships with for several years.To learn more visit here.
About us
Team
We are a small business that is quickly growing, and we have been blown away by all of the support and orders that have come through our online store! All of our Cageless Birds Store orders are personally processed, packaged, and shipped out by our Cageless Birds staff.
Mission & Investment
We exist to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus and are dedicated to creativity, discipleship, and community living year-round. We work on our 52-acre campus in Sophia, NC where we offer schools, camps, and retreats, known as the 18 Inch Journey.
Every purchase enables us to continue leading schools and discipling hearts.
Our Collective
Our Collective consists of over 30 artisans with work ranging from songwriting, art, pottery, leathercraft, construction, writing, coffee roasting, videography, and more.
We created our Online Shop to share the overflow of our creative pursuits and financially support our non-profit ministry and missional staff.