A few months back I shared with you

that we had some foundation work completed –

And to tell you the truth it’s something that’s been needed for quite some time… 

I’ve been watching a ‘little’ crack on the youngest’s bedroom wall for a while now – but we were just too afraid of what it might cost to even go for the estimate…

 You see, for most of our life together we’ve lived on a VERY [crazy] tight budget in our effort to live a self-sufficient life and still do all the crazy wonderful things we do. 

And, side note: I appreciate my sweetheart and all he has done to juggle things so that we could do just that. It’s nice to finally be in a place where we’re putting a little more away to savings each month and have a bit more disposable income to play with as well….

 But! – I’m off track… Sometime around The Holidays we were walking around the outside of that part of the house and noticed that  

the brick on the window outside was pulling away.

 [And, yes - we should've never let that vine grow up so much --]

So it was time to do something, like it or not.

 I’m kind of thankful to Chip and Joanna for having a show around the same time where a home needed foundation work and Chip threw out a number that wasn’t SO AWFUL and made it seemed a bit more affordable to me… 

Love how the Lord gives us a little something when we need it 

[no matter how small...]

 [They did a great job of digging up our plants -- 

and we've actually SAVED the azaleas that have been there for over 40 years --]

So Craig called up the local specialists in our area and got the estimate – 

Do-able. A lot. 

But manageable. 

[And very close to what I’d heard from Chip that day on the telly -] 

They put us on the schedule for three months later. 

Yes – they’re THAT busy. 

 [Can you see the TOP of this worker's head? - They dug down deep, y'all.]

Anyway, when the day came, they went to work quickly. 

[THIS is what I love most about hiring those who know their trade well – they’re experts and can do the work a million times better and quicker than we ever could!]

 [We had cracks by this front shutter that we hadn't even noticed due to the GIANT nandina shrub 

{{and No, we DID NOT save it}} that was there -]

Before we knew it, they’d dug down deep to set the new foundation firmly on rock

and lo and behold [that’s a phrase my MamaM would use] 

the cracks that were so visible previously were barley even noticeable.

Isn’t God like that? 

If we set the foundation of our life firmly on Him then 

 all the cracks in our lives seem to come together flawlessly. 

I love how He can use the things in our past 

[those cracks and flaws]

to bring glory to Him if we only let Him. 

And oh the peace we have as we navigate through this old life 

[which is FULL of things that try to chink away the foundation of our lives] 

– just by making the choice to place our lives on His firm foundation – 

Makes me think of the old hymn by John Rippon, 

written in the 1700s – wow –

Love the constancy of God’s grace!

 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Read every verse – 

[And click on it to go to a YouTube video to hear it --- ]

It’s a very long hymn and 

I know I’d be weary if we sang every single verse in church – 

But isn’t that a wonderful story of God’s grace? 

– Through all the ups and downs that life has to offer 

in this ole sinful world we live in – 

God will be right by our side if we only look to Him. 

I want my foundation to be on Him and His Word – 

I want the peace that HE can give in this chaotic world we live in…

and I pray that you have it too -