Home Improvements and Renovations

Over the last couple of years, my wife Faye and I have been replacing windows in our home. This 2020 year was no different, as we chose to replace the bathroom and kitchen windows.

   It is a lot of work but well worth it because during this process I found there were issues with the current Tyvek,(a synthetic insulation for outdoor walls), and the Sheathing, and even with broken siding, and along with that, I had to relocate an electrical box in addition to the other areas that needed fixing.

   Now during this window replacement I also planned on removing the siding from the deck area near the kitchen window. My plan was to only remove the siding and replace the old Tyvek and put in another electrical outlet.  I had the pieces ready to go, I just needed the opportunity which seems simple, right?    No, not at all. As I started pulling the siding off and seeing what was left of the old Tyvek, I came across bigger problems.  So being the person that I am, I took the necessary steps to fix it the right way.   To do this, I had to pull ½ the deck apart, remove the rotted sheathing and replace it with new sheathing. Then I could add the flashing and waterproof the decks ledger board due to a lot of water damage.  I am thankful that I had the opportunity to fix this to avoid issues further down the road.  

   It was during this time of the house project that I was also needing to prepare the July forward for our CBF newsletter.  I was having trouble coming up with something to write. I kept asking the Lord for help in finishing up the house and providing me with something to write about.

It was then that I felt the Lord speaking to me to write on home improvements and renovations, not on my house, but on our spiritual houses/temples.

   Now during the whole COVID 19 pandemics, many people have been taking this time to do home improvements and what a wonderful opportunity for Christians to be doing the same, spiritually speaking.

 When we are self-evaluating our lives and addressing issues that need to be dealt with, there will be times that the Lord will reveal to us an area other than the one we are working on, possibly an area of our lives that has a lot of rot which l know needs to be addressed.  That is the time to address it and fix it right and not ignore what the Lord is trying to show us by saying to ourselves, ‘not now, I do not have time’ and then we cover it back up.  You might say to yourself, ‘I will fix it later’, as we all know, later can often lead to more damage being done, just like under the surface to the structure of the integrity of the building.

   We are commanded to not be like the Pharisees and Sadducees, when the Lord addressed them in Matthew 23:26 and Luke 11:37-40, to clean the inside of the cup first then the outside.

   Jesus was referring to what is inside us, where our spiritual character is defined and developed. We can only improve and renovate our character by the Holy Spirit that the Lord promised to all of God’s children. There is no room for shortcuts, or ‘I will deal with it later’ attitudes.

   I pray that the holy spirit may continue to speak and reveal to you as it has revealed to me.  But remember, one must seek and be willing to hear and do. 

  

   For we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Phil 4:13. 

May the Lord Bless you and keep you this day.  

Brother Steve