12.6- I watched two different buildings built which became very important in my life.

 12.6-

I watched two different buildings built which became very important in my life. One was a house and the other a church house. Both are not an end in themselves, but a means to an end.

One was on Pitkin Street in Aurora Colorado in 1977. When I first saw it there was a mess all over the place. There was a section of the floor that had nothing but rough boards composition board rather than carpet. Walls were bare sheet rock but about a month later we moved in and at our walk through it looked almost perfect. There was a "punch list" of repairs that was finished in a month.

After we moved in there was not enough space for a play area for our son, Jeff, age 8. We had a double deep garage with a plan to wall the back part into a winter in Colorado play room. The reality was that our house was a "work in process".

We were only there three years but great changes happened. Our daughter Amy came in 1978. She has been working on improving our family every day.

At Thanksgiving Jeff, Donna, Amy, Jared, Sharon, Alan, Charmaine and Austin all helped the group improve holiday and our family joy. Did all five days go perfect? No.

There were moments of "iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another."

I'm so glad I live in a family of love where we can grow together to be all we can be. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Family is a loving training ground for our future life after earth.. I hope you have a family around you building you up. It looks "messy" at times but some of the most wonderful gifts in life are "messy".

Carpet remnants on the floor? Walls messed up need paint? Love growth is work in process.

Ephesians 2.

11 Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, [m]excluded from [n]the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away [o]have been brought near [p]by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the [q]barrier of the dividing wall, 15 [r]by abolishing [s]in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might [t]make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; 16 and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, [u]by it having put to death the hostility. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the [v]saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy [w]temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

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