Tag Archives: House

Chapter-a-Day

Renovation or Destruction

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He shall have the house torn down, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and taken outside the city to an unclean place.
Leviticus 14:45 (NRSV)

We spent this weekend with friends at the lake. It was a wonderful time of hanging out together and enjoying good conversation. Our friends bought a house a few years ago and have been in slow remodel mode ever since. The conversation this weekend meandered often to brainstorming thoughts and ideas for renovating their place. Wendy, who avidly keeps the television in her office on the DIY and Home & Garden channels, was more than happy to jump in with her thoughts and ideas.

There is a house on the lot next to ours at the lake. You can barely see it through the trees in the summer, but those who spend any time at our place on the lake eventually notice the place, and can’t help but be curious. We are often quizzed about the house by our guests. As far as we know, the small house has not been occupied by humans since the 1970s. The structure is largely rotted and the house is literally falling apart. Holes and openings in the structure have led to infestation of all kinds of critters. Those curious enough to wander through the brush to inspect the house closer will find that black mold covers the inside which was abandoned while still furnished. The furniture is equally rotten and covered with mold.

A newer home being updated. An abandoned house rotting. I thought about the contrast as I read this morning’s chapter about the ancient Levitical rules for “cleansing” of “diseases.” The cleansing not only included the human body but also the houses humans lived in. If there was the presence of mold or some other unhealthy thing growing in the house of an ancient Hebrew, the priest was called in to inspect it. If it could not be addressed the entire house was to be destroyed and the rubbish removed from the community.

I am struck this morning by the contrasting word pictures. Sometimes life is structurally sound, but there are always opportunities for improvement. An update here, a renovation there to raise the usefulness and value of the entire house. Other times in life, the core structure is rotten (even if hidden beneath several coats of fresh paint). Renovation is not an option because it changes mere appearances but does not address what is rotten at the core. Old things must pass away in order for new things to come.

Jesus addressed this very issue when he spoke with the priests and religious leaders:

“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.”

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Photo Friday, Wayfarer's Journal

The Stained-Glass Maker and His “Message”

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Dad and his stained glass 058

There are two things about our house that have received the most comments from guests seeing it for the first time. One is the hidden doors, which are very, very cool. The other is the distinctive stained-glass window that sits between our kitchen and dining room.

The stained-glass was made by my father specifically for our house. Yesterday, while the folks were visiting for Thanksgiving, I took the opportunity to grab this shot of dad standing below his artwork.

Dad told us yesterday that he had designed a “message” in the stained-glass and wondered if we’d see it. He said that if we don’t see it by Christmas he will reveal it to us.

Anyone see a message in the glass?

Chapter-a-Day

Resting on Bedrock

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The Rock, his work is perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God, without deceit,
    just and upright is he;
Deuteronomy 32:4 (NRSV)

A few years ago we noticed that our house had developed a few cracks in the walls that hadn’t been there when we bought it. The house was older, so it wasn’t a shock, but we knew we should investigate. The experts concluded that there was one section of ground beneath our foundation that had shifted. We had to drill underneath the house until we hit bedrock, then place supports under the foundation so that our house was resting on bedrock (see featured photo).

Just last week Wendy and I were having a conversation with friends. We had been asked to reflect on life and I mentioned that the past year and a half had been an incredible time of transition for our family. Madison switched jobs, moved twice, and struggled to figure out how she would finish out college. Taylor went through a divorce and moved to grad school in Scotland. My parents were both diagnosed with terrible illnesses. Both my folks and Wendy’s folks moved. Wendy and I felt led to sell our house, build a new house. Meanwhile, my company went through some of the most stressful change in its 27 year history. I concluded this litany of events by stating, “The tectonic plates of life have shifted beneath us.”

Life happens. Sometimes it feels as if the very ground beneath our feet is shifting. Cracks appear. We feel unsettled. If you’re like me, the result is usually generous doses of anxiety and fear.

In today’s chapter, Moses concludes his life and leadership over the people of Israel by composing and giving them a song. In the song, Moses uses the metaphor of “Rock” to identify God. David and the prophets would later pick up on this same metaphor. Jesus also used this metaphor. He taught us that when life happens, you want to make sure your house is built on bedrock.

Today, I’m thinking about this period of incredible life transition for our that continues to this day. I’m thinking about how Wendy and I have managed through it all. I’m thankful that our hearts are resting on the Rock.

Chapter-a-Day

Vision, Design, Measurement, Reality

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Wendy Sold on Bos LotGreat Room

[God] took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 
Ezekiel 40:3 (NIV)

In the past year, Wendy and I had a completely unexpected idea to build a  new house, purchased the lot, hired a contractor, worked on a design, watched it being built, and moved in. The reality of it still makes my head spin. From hair-brained idea to a new home in twelve months.

The result of this is that Wendy and I have spent the better part of a year using rulers and tape measures to size up drawings, blueprints, floors, walls, lot lines, doorways, driveways,  closets, counters, fireplaces, sinks, etc., etc., and etc. It’s a necessary part of building a new custom designed house. And, I’ll be happy never to do it again!

I had an eery feeling of deja vu this morning as I read of Ezekiel’s vision. After 39 chapters of doom, gloom, violence and judgement the theme of Zeke’s messages takes a huge turn. We have to remember the context from which he is writing. The city of Jerusalem had been sieged and destroyed, along with Solomon’s glorious temple by the Babylonian army. Ezekiel was taken into exile to the land of his enemy where he and his fellow expatriates can only grieve their home and their temple that lies in ruin. Perhaps we should expect him to have a doom and gloom outlook.

Starting with today’s chapter, however, Zeke’s final visions take on a new twist. From here on out his visions are about the restoration and rebuilding of a new city and a new temple. Today his vision is of a heavenly contractor, ancient tape measures in hand, who takes him on a construction tour to measure out the new temple which will be built. Measurement after measurement after measurement of walls, doors, floors, etc., etc., and etc. It’s part of the process of building something new.

Today I’m thankful that the “vision” and “measurement” phase of our new home is over and we are experiencing the reality of it. I’m thankful for the experience of being led through the whirlwind process of unforeseen vision to fulfillment and reality. The experience encourages me to have faith in the larger visions, plans and blueprints God reveals for this life and this world.

Wayfarer's Journal

Moved In!

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The weekend has been a blur. My muscles are aching. My body is tired. But, we are successfully moved in to our new house. Wendy and I actually got possession of the house on Friday morning after a walk through with our contractor. The cleaning crew was here polishing everything up. The televisions got hooked up and the appliances delivered. Wendy and I made a few loads to get the fragile stuff moved over that we wanted to personally handle. After grabbing a bite we returned to sleep in the new house and received our first visit from the neighbors, Kevin and Linda! 🙂 We then spent our first night in the new digs.

Suzanna was starring in Anne of Green Gables this weekend, so Mom Hall came down from Ankeny to help Suzanna and to let Suzanna stay at the hotel away from the chaos. She also helped us with the clean up and move which was a huge blessing.

Saturday morning the movers arrived at the house on Columbus just before nine and an amazing crew of friends showed up to help. While the movers set about moving things from the main house, our friends helped me empty the storage shed. “Many hands (and vehicles) make work light,” and I was amazed when one trip was about all we needed to empty the shed. While one crew went back for the final boxes from the shed, another headed to the house to load up patio furniture and etc. One more trip to the house emptied the garage and by noon our local crew had done all there was for them to do.

Wendy and I ordered pizza for our faithful helpers as our movers arrived with the main load comprising of everything from the main and second floors. They emptied and returned to the old house for one last load of stuff from the basement. They had that emptied and the entire move was completed by supper time.

Whew.

Now for the unpacking and bring ordering to the chaos. Thanks to Mom Hall, Brad, Paul, Kev, Matthew, Chad, Shay, Nathan, Aaron, and Camille for their friendship and hard work!

Chapter-a-Day

Worthwhile Things Take Time

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From thought to reality in less than a year.
From thought to reality in less than a year.

[Solomon] had spent seven years building [the temple]. 1 Kings 6:38b

Worthwhile things take time.

In the nearly 50 years of my lifetime I believe the greatest change in our culture has been the speed with which we live our lives. Our technological age has pushed the envelope of speed in nearly every area of life.

When I was a kid, I delivered the afternoon edition of the Des Moines newspaper on four square blocks up Madison Avenue from Lawnwoods Drive to Lower Beaver Road, south to Douglas Avenue and then back up Lawnwoods catching the side streets of Garden, Seneca, and Fleming Avenues in between. There were two papers printed each day back then to get more news out to the public faster. News traveled at the speed that my eleven year old feet could carry it in Chuck Taylor high-tops.

My "Paper Route"
My “Paper Route”

When I got home, I read the newspaper myself. I was always fascinated by the small “blurbs” that newspaper editors used to fill space on the page. “Blurbs” were small articles just a sentence or two long. Usually, it was a news story from the far reaches of the world that had little relevance to anyone in Des Moines such as a massive earthquake that struck a remote province in China.

Today, my phone would notify me of that same earthquake minutes after it happened with links to photos, videos and eyewitness reports. Suddenly, everything that happens is newsworthy and we are aware of everything that happens in an instant. Everything happens faster than before. Things get old quicker. Things are obsolete almost as quickly as you purchase them. Fads come and go in a day (remember the “Harlem Shake?”).

Today, I’m thinking about Solomon’s seven year effort to build the temple, and thinking about the house that Wendy and I are watching emerge from a vision in our heads to reality in less than a year. I’m thinking about some of the great building projects of history that spanned generations, and I wonder what it was like for a craftsman to dedicate his whole life to a building project that he knew he would never see completed.

I love all that that technology has afforded us. I love that I can have a coffee date with Taylor in Scotland via FaceTime. I love that Madison can text me from whichever airport she happens to be in at any moment and I can instantly communicate with her from anywhere. And yet, I am aware that having the world at our fingertips 24/7/365 has not made us better people, nor wiser, nor more satisfied.

Worthwhile things take time, but we increasingly steal time from our lives in search of worthwhile things.

 

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Wayfarer's Journal

Under Construction

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Speaking of the house we’re building, we’ve had a lot of friends and family asking how it’s going. The framing is in full swing and last Friday the trusses began going up. In the next few weeks it will be completely framed and enclosed. It’s been fun to watch it going up. I’ll admit that there’s hardly a day that goes by that I’m not driving by to see how it’s going.

Wendy and I have been working around the clock to get our house ready to sell. Got a call from a realtor yesterday who has a couple leaving town today and wanting to see our house before they leave. While we’re not really ready, we scrambled late last night to make things presentable. So, here we go.

I’m still finishing out the website I put together for our house. I’ve been taking pictures and adding them as we clean and get rooms ready to show. Here’s the link:

http://607columbus.wordpress.com

 

Chapter-a-Day

Clutter, Consideration and Commitment

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source: rossap via flickr
source: rossap via flickr

As goods increase,
    so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
    except to feast their eyes on them?
Ecclesiastes 5:11 (NIV)

As Wendy and I prepare for selling our house, we are in the process commonly known as “de-cluttering.” We are going through everything we own and choosing to peddle, pitch, or pile into storage. It’s been a long time in coming and it’s been a fascinating process. We are certainly not candidates for an episode of Hoarders, but there are moments when the shelves and containers full of stuff seem endless.

Last night, I sat on the living room floor and went through two large containers with receipts, owners manuals, warranty information, tax documents, and etc. It was crazy how much paperwork we have for the smallest of things, and I was shocked at the amount of peripheral documentation builds up around the ephemera of our daily lives. Much of what I went through was for gadgets, appliances, technology and d00-dads we don’t even own anymore. Oy!

The de-cluttering is having a fascinating and positive effect on both Wendy and me. The house feels more open and peaceful, our day is strangely lightened. When we feast our eyes around the house there is less to consume our mindshare, less to worry about, less to have to think about, and less we have to do something with. It is making us consider how we want things to be different in our new home.

As I read through Solomon’s wisdom regarding the silliness of the accumulation of things I am both convicted and encouraged this morning. I am sure that what I am feeling is common to virtually all who have gone through this process, but it is where I am in the moment and Solomon seems exceptionally wise from where I am standing this morning.

As I look back over my life journey I realize that I have often been considerate of things I should do, but then fell short of actually doing them. As I think about my desire to commit to permanently de-clutter house and life, I am mindful of something else the Teacher wrote in today’s chapter:

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.

Wayfarer's Journal

You Heard Right…We’re Moving

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Wendy Sold on Bos Lot

So, the word is out. Wendy and I have been regularly getting asked if it’s true that we are building a house. Yes, we are! Here’s the scoop:

Be careful of saying “never.” When Wendy and I bought 607 Columbus in 2005, we vowed we were never moving again. We absolutely love our cozy little brick Tudor and had planned on living here until death or old age forced us out. I even wrote a post about it a few years ago as we began ambitious plans to renovate.

Wendy and I both work from home offices and Wendy’s office has been located in a corner of the living room for years. There were a number of things we wanted and needed to make the house work for us in the years to come. We wanted to add a larger master suite, an office for Wendy and a laundry room on the main floor. For two years we embarked on several projects to shore up the infrastructure of the house, and we worked with architect Rod Curtis on a plan to put on an addition that would maintain the character of the house. It was a challenge.

As we put the plans out to bid early last spring, two things became clear. First, the plans we’d dreamed up with Rod’s help still contained compromises. It was never exactly what we really wanted. Second, the cost of the addition and renovations were much costlier than we anticipated. It just didn’t make financial sense to pour that much money into renovating and still not end up with exactly what we wanted from a space and layout perspective.

We’ve both learned over the years that God sometimes directs our steps towards places we never intended to go. There is more to the story than is necessary to share here, but suffice it to say that over the course of a couple weeks it became clear to both of us that we were being led to build rather than renovate. Things quickly clicked. We purchased a lot in Bos Landen (interestingly enough, it was owned by our church) on Utrecht Laan, hired Davidson & Goodyk, developed plans, and construction began in August. We’re planning to move into the new house in late February or early March 2015.

607 Columbus

While we are understandably excited, we also grieve saying good bye to this wonderful house. We have been working diligently on getting things ready to sell and plan to officially put it on the market in early October. We plan to start by listing it ourselves for sale by owner. I’ve also been putting together a website about the house for anyone who might be interested:

http://607columbus.wordpress.com

 

Chapter-a-Day

Dear Diary,

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1977 07 06 Vander Well Everdina Diary Entry“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,without hope.”

David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.
1 Chronicles 29:14-15;26-28 (NIV)

Wendy and I have begun to declutter our house. It’s interesting the accumulation of “stuff” after nearly a decade. I find myself increasingly willing to get rid of things that, for some apparent reason, I felt I really needed at one time. I find it interesting what your heart labels as “treasure” and what you consider “junk.” Yesterday I came across a tub which contains my grandmother’s diaries, which I still treasure and hope to catalog more thoroughly some day.

For over twenty years my grandmother faithfully recorded the events of her day. I must be honest. The diaries are, for the most part, very boring. The entries are not the least bit introspective. Grandma was not one to write about her feelings or insights or to wax eloquent about her perspective on anything. Her entries read like a mundane grocery list of activity:

Thursday, June 19, 1969 – Got up late. Slept good. We did a big wash + ironing. Went for a ride this eve. Sure enjoyed it. Dad drove car. Hot day.

On a whim, I picked up the diary from 1977 and navigated to one particular entry:

Wednesday, July 6, 1977 – We did odds + ends today. Took Don and Dan to Jackes for supper this eve. Had a shower early a.m. + a little shower this eve.

It was the last diary entry my grandmother would make. After writing this entry, she and my grandpa went for a walk “up town” and were struck by a car while crossing the street. My grandmother died that night. My grandfather picked up the daily duty of writing in the diary and continued the practice until late in his life.

How easily we forget life’s fragility. In our hearts we all plan to live to a ripe old age and hand off our accumulated “stuff” to our children just as King David did in today’s chapter. And yet, there is always the possibility that we are just an evening stroll and a distracted driver away from making our own final entry in this life’s daily diary.

I found it interesting that in his advanced age, and in the moment of his giving away the throne, King David recognized that everything came from and belonged to God. It’s easier to give away what was never yours in the first place, and the further I get in this life journey the more I recognize David’s realization in my own heart.

Today, I’m grateful for what I’ve been given. I’m seeking to let go of the notion that I can lay claim to anything and think that it is mine; not even this beautiful summer day in July.

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