A Constant Remodeling project:

For about four decades I've been into remodeling, home repair, fixing-up, call it what you will.

Most of my efforts bear no resemblance to the popular shows on TV. It is interesting to watch one of the shows where they claim to be doing a low-cost project. Their budget for a room is often more than I paid for my house. Especially in our earlier projects, by far, the biggest question was what will it cost. I can show you walls that were built out of 2x4s that came out of other walls that were torn down. A long time before I had anywhere approaching adequate tools, I tore panel doors apart and cut them down or put mirrors in them, etc. etc. My current project involves a good bit of new material, but still, I'm working with what is there.

It's a lot like life. In the kind of remodeling I'm describing a person who does everything "by the book," will end up greatly frustrated, and will spend a lot of money. You can usually spot this kind of craftsman. Every ninety seconds or so they will loudly lament, "Nothing is square in this house." On the other hand a remodeller who doesn't have a good feel for what will work and last, will end up creating a project that will fall down around his ears in a year or too. (I know this from experience.) When you are doing what I'm talking about you have to take what is there and based on sound principles make it better with what you have on hand.

Christianity is not a way of life that only works on the controlled environment of a TV show. Where mistakes end up in the out-takes. Christianity is real-life way of life, where a person takes what is there--out of square and all--and then uses, following the directions in the Bible, what the Lord has provided to make progress.

Real people who really love the Lord.

The Lord has given us the resources--His word, prayer, the church, His own presence with us--to build a life to his glory. Done right our life won't look like every other Christian McMansion on the street. Rather the Lord enables us to build lives that have a character of their own. In fact some of the lives will be described as "characters." The Apostle Paul's fanatical Rabbinism became a part of his Christian persona, likewise John's compassion, and Peter's impetuosity. The Lord is building real people, in conformity with His word, increasingly taking on a look that becomes a clearer expression of Who He is. He is not creating Christian Stepfords.

How is your project coming?

It's STTA.