Make everything beautiful

I spent the first 4 days this week painting a house.

You know you spend too much time painting when you are in Walmart and ask an associate if there is someone who can mix paint for you and they reply " I will call someone as soon as you answer a question." I am thinking what is this a test? If you answer incorrectly you get no help. Her question was, "I am painting the trim on my house, should I use primer first if the paint says it is one coat with primer in it?" 

"Is there a lot of bare wood?" I asked"because if there is use primer first." 

She then called for an associate to mix paint for me. Sad part is I didn't like the color that was mixed up so I remixed it to the color I wanted later. 

I wanted an ivory white for the trim and it was still too white. Added a cup of Chocolate brown to their ivory and got the color I wanted.

The neighbors stopped by to tell me the house and garage looked a lot better.

I asked if they wanted to help pay for the paint.

They declined to do so. 

Thursday afternoon we were down to only 1 house we are working on. There are a couple of small jobs we have hanging out there to be done, but this is the first time since last November that I feel we are getting caught up.

 

On Friday Micah laid the kitchen floor in that last house. 

We went to Modern Floor Covering and bought vinyl for the bathroom. I put it in while Micah was working on the kitchen.

Then I started on the Laundry room floor. It was also purchased at Modern Floor covering. We bought a pallet of flooring on Friday morning and have no house purchased to put it in yet. I think Micah and I were thinking we will find a house for sale that works with our ROI requirements yet this year. Maybe we are a bit too optimistic.

Friday afternoon we started putting up trim. 

I think Micah was surprised how long and what a pain it is to put in the trim. Yes. Micah, you actually need to cut a 1/4 inch by 1 inch piece fill the gap and make the trim lay flat.

I must have counted wrong.

\

We were short a 14 foot board to finish the trim.

With the trim up, it makes you feel like you are getting close to finished. I think Micah is thinking we can get this house rented by September first. I don't think so. I want the siding on the house before we rent it. I want the saws to cut the siding set up in the garage. He had me call Brown's heating today to get the Ac installation scheduled during August. I am still thinking October, Micah is pushing for September rent. We will see who wins, but I bet I do.

I had a conversation today with a young woman who was moving out on a violent young man. From the outside her life looked good. The happy couple with a baby just over a month old.

She was telling me about the young man, and I asked her "Why were you living with him?" 

She said we have been together on and off for a year now." 

I am thinking "on and off for a year?", but you have a child over a month old, that means you have been involved a little too close for at least 10 months. 

I said to her "You chose poorly." 

Tears ran down her cheeks. 

Someone has to tell the truth to our world. Instant gratification does not lead to a happy life. It leads to pain, sorrow, and sadness. 

I told her "I am not your daddy, I am not going to fix your problems, I am not going to make it so there are no repercussions here. Next time choose wisely."

We take houses that have been neglected and fix them up. We put in new windows, doors, floors, roofs, siding and take something of little value and add value.

There are a lot of people out there who need to have their lives fixed up. Many bad decisions have been made and now their lives are crashing around them.

Even if your life is like a house that needs everything updated and changed, God can make that happen. When all looks hopeless Jesus can wipe away all our sins and mistakes and make our lives brand new in Him.

If you know someone whose life is a mess, go talk to them with love, not judgement. (You may think I was judgmental with that young woman, but I would not have been there if I didn't care and want to help). Tell them they can do better, not by themselves, but by turning their life over to God.

Jesus can make everything beautiful.