from broken to fixed

     It has been a productive week here at the Spoelstra hacienda. The tenants are moved in and I was hurrying to get the outside finished. I looked up a few pictures of what our project house looked like when we started. 

     As of this afternoon the house has a new roof, the siding is all on and the concrete is all poured.

     The supports need to be taken out from under the porch roof once the concrete cures and the siding caulked and painted. 

    I may be prejudiced seeing as how I did most of the work, but I think the place is looking a whole lot better than it did when we purchased it. 

     I loaded up all of the tools today and put them back in storage. 

     Even the old lawn shed has been given a new lease on life.

     Jacked back up straight, with new siding and rebuilt doors, the old girl doesn't look too bad. We'll paint her when we paint the house.

     The broken sidewalk has been torn out and poured new and I didn't even wait to get notification from the city that it needed to be done. Kudos for me for being proactive. I like to think it shows that changes can be made. What is broken and ruined can be fixed and made almost like new.

     We had a tenant get arrested this week. I had to fix a door after it was busted in. From what I can gather, it might have been the police who busted in the door. I got in contact with her mother after I found the door open with a broken lock and no one home. I was worried that something had happened to her. It had. She was arrested. Police swarmed the place around midnight one fine night. 

    I now know 3 women who have been arrested for assault in the last 60 days. These are not large women. I think they would have to be carrying weights to tip the scale at 135. Sharon mentioned I should be careful around her with all these women going violent.

    I was told a couple of weeks ago that people buy cigars and then take out the tobacco and replace it with marijuana. I have seen a lot of women smoking cigars lately. Are they smoking cigars or something a little more entertaining?? That is a good question. It smells like a cigar to me, but I would have to admit I wouldn't know the smell of marijuana.

   The mother of the last woman to get arrested said her daughter was going through a tough time and needed prayers. I told the mother we would put her on our list of people we pray for. 

    God can take the broken and fix it. God can take the ruined and make it like new. I may be able to make a house almost like new, but God can take a broken life and make it new. He can take a ruined life and rebuild it. He is the only one that can do that. 

   I am amazed when God allows us, in a small way, to be involved in changing a life. If you know anyone in trouble, whose life is in shambles, come join me in praying for them and trying to help them. It is a lot more fun and fulfilling than just standing back and judging them for their obvious sinful life. Maybe God will use you to make a ruined broken life new.