This last move brought us to a new development and we have loved watching this community being built around us. Last spring when we put our deposit down, it was literally a piece of land. We were one of the first in our subdivision. So to see the roads, houses and landscaping go in has been exciting to watch.
With this being our first time to build from the ground up, we were able to document nearly every step of the way. We have photos of the foundation poured, the framing, dry wall and most of the final stages. Jim even walked through and wrote some of our favorite verses on a few of the door frames of the house before the drywall went in. Definitely a special house for us.
Jim enjoys watching the process of the builders who literally drop off a giant wood “ kit” that is numbered off. One day it is just a pile of 2x4’s and what I would assume to be planks and rafters ( I googled it 😉) and the next day is a framed off house. It’s impressive.
We have watched and met some of the owners who are now doing the same thing we did. Frequent visits to see the progress on their soon to be home. There is something to be said about a brand new community that brings all the people together. No one knows anyone. We are all new and experiencing much of the same that comes with uprooting and moving into a new house and it’s surroundings. People reach out to each other via social media, “ looking for boxes”, “Who did you use for window coverings?”, “ ISO a dentist”........It’s been great.
While we have the hope of this being our last move and even bought, designed and planned on this being our “forever” house; I am fully aware that life can take many twists and turns. So I hold it all very loosely and open handed. It’s just a house and at the end of the day, it’s not mine. Our house and everything in it belongs to God. I need to constantly remind myself of that. When we wrote those verse on the door frames we meant it. Knowing they would be covered with drywall and paint left unseen, I wanted them to be imbedded in the heart of this home.
Having moved so many times, I have learned that a house is just a house. But it’s what is inside that makes it a home. I remember years ago, early in our marriage and after maybe three moves; my Mother-in-Law complimented me on how quickly I was able to turn a house into a home. I think she meant how quickly I could unpack, decorate and get things functioning as a home. But over the years I have also learned what makes a house a home isn’t in all the decorations and matching color coordinated bath towels. It’s the people and how we come together to do life with one another that make it a home.
Part of that includes me making our home orderly and functional so that it creates a peaceful environment where others feel comfortable and at home. There was a time when our home was anything but peaceful. It was chaos. Dishes in the sink, beds unmade, laundry undone, last nights dried up food stuck to the table. Argghh, it most certainly was not orderly or peaceful.
Jim would walk in the door after a long day at work and I hadn’t even thought about dinner much less prepared anything. He didn’t have clean clothes to wear and the house wasn’t at all orderly. And let’s just say we did not have “peaceful” conversations. I was putting everything else first in my life. Myself, my friendships, mine and the kids actives so we wouldn’t miss out. Our home was chaos. I was tearing it down brick by brick.
Thankfully, I had some godly women come alongside me and point me to truth. The wisdom found in God’s Word has been life changing. I started applying those truths to my life and our home is for the most part, orderly and peaceful. Oh, I am not perfect and there are still some days of chaos. Even some days now where I can swing the pendulum the other way and get a little uptight about the house and wanting it to look perfect. BUT, God continues to remind me that the house He has given us is to be used as a home to do life with each other for His purpose. It all starts at home. Because it has been said, “Who you are at home is who you are.”
I want to be wise in all I do but especially at home with my husband, family and friends. That they know our home is a safe place filled with love even in the chaos, that they sense God’s presence here and can help themselves into the pantry and fridge because it’s an open kitchen kind of place. My hope is that all who come in will feel a sense of home. Oh, you will get some dog hair on you because let’s face it, a dog makes a house a home too. 😉❤️
Pressing On
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.””
Joshua 24:15 NIV
“Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.”
Proverbs 14:1 MSG
“Through [skillful and godly] wisdom a house [a life, a home, a family] is built, And by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation],”
PROVERBS 24:3 AMP
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:33 NIV
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