Under Construction
No, this site is not under construction...it's my house! I've been taking some time away from the computer and other things to finish the work that's underway even as I write. I'm almost done framing in the extended porch on the front of the house, and new windows along with siding are soon to follow. God has been so kind as to provide the time, energy and finances to do all of this work. It was 15 months ago Danielle and I bought our "fixer-upper" (which God also graciously provided!) and were immediatly faced with setbacks in getting the building permit. Well, God knows best for us, and we trust that even more now. He saw best for all of our remodeling plans to wait until now to begin. And because of this timing, we have been able to spend the past year enjoying time together (in our very sad looking house) without the burdens and strains that would have naturally come with this project. I know that God has strengthened our marriage over the past year, and now He is providing all the necessary grace to complete this work. My wife has been a trooper already. We woke up this morning at 6:00 AM to rain dripping very steadily into our living room (due to the half-completed roof), which included the cds, hardwood floor, and the T.V.! She quickly mobilized me - half asleep - gave me a mop, and got on her hands and knees to clean up the brown-stained water that had filtered through our 50 year-old attic insulation. This kind of godly support and encouragement is the only reason I can work on this project. My wife is the most amazing woman in the world, and I am even more motivated now to finish our house for her. She took a step of faith to leave our nice, cushy apartment and settle into this small, quaint disaster zone, and has never once complained. She loves our home and has done many things to transform it into a homey place, despite the fact that half of the windows are sealed shut from some foreign glue-like substance. From cheering me on, to using a nail gun for the first time, Danielle has found many ways to jump in and join the revitilization efforts. It will be great when it's all over and we can enjoy together God's favor together while sitting in a swing on a new covered porch! I'll post some pics when I get a chance to scan them in.
posted by Josh at 9:35 PM
5 Comments:
Aww, what a guy. I enjoyed reading your perspective of how her support motivates you. You should pass the advice on to other young married not to work on a fixer-upper the first year of marriage. I am serious. Paul and I bought one six months into marriage but didn't have funds till right before Ben was born (9 months after moving in:)) . Looking back, it WAS good that God didn't bless us financially too soon. We probably would've had so much external pressure from wanting too much too soon that our new marriage could've suffered for it.
We started with the windows because they hold 50 year old cranks on them and no screens. Hardly baby proof. Good for you.It means so much more to a woman to see her man wielding hammer (or mop) than you can imagine.
7:08 PM
I agree with you on that one. I'd recommend buying a house and putting sweat equity into it, but not without counting the cost. Robert Smith was always one to tell me that home repairs never end, and you've got to seriously look at your finances and schedule and see if you can manage it all. It's really like a second job if you think about it. The first few years of marriage should be reserved for couples to grow closer together and to the Lord.
7:37 PM
Awww, that's sweet. You know I not always have such a good attitude about this stuff. Although I wanted a fixer-upper too, sometimes reality is harder than you'd think! :) But it's been fun. We have lots of stories!
8:29 PM
Hey, Josh, I just found out from your wife's blog that your house is not the only thing 'under construction." Congrulations, "Daddy." Doesn't sound that good?
1:36 PM
Wow, that's the first I've heard that word from anybody! "Daddy." It's very exciting, humbling, and rewarding all at the same time. It's unbelievable and still almost unreal that all this is happening. God is so good!
8:01 PM
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