Building Oak Haven – Plumbing

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Jill English Johnston

Brrrrr.

An arctic front pushed its way into Central Texas, dropping temperatures from the 70s to the 30s.  But progress continues. The forms and fill have been finished and we also have a construction driveway. The cold weather, however, did not deter our plumbers. When we stopped by the job site, they were out diligently laying the plumbing pipes in the cold. We had a quick, shivering chat to discuss a few details and ask about the placement of hose bibs on the back side of the house. I’m glad we did, because we were able to request that they be plumbed closer to ground level rather than the top of the foundation (otherwise I couldn’t reach them!).

This week, we had appointments with ProSource to finalize our flooring and tile selections and with 84 lumber to finalize our windows and doors. We love working with Amaris and Craig. They’ve been so helpful in listening to our desires and understanding the look we want to achieve, working within our budget and navigating the overwhelming number of selections (As Amaris says, “we have pretty at every price point). They rock! We also met with our cabinet guy, Ron at Bill’s Cabinet shop and sat down with him at his computer to visualize/finalize our cabinets in both 2D and 3D.  Very cool. We asked a lot of questions because we will be staining and installing the cabinets ourselves. Ron had lots of great tips and resources. Staining cabinets will be a new endeavor for us, but we gained experience in installing them during our repairs after Hurricane Katrina.

We’ve made most of our selections for indoor/outdoor lights, our appliances and our tubs/sinks/plumbing fixtures, however we still need to shop for the less exciting but very important items such as water heaters, water softeners, and of course toilets.

I’ve been trying to keep up with the paperwork with several binders, folders and notebooks. The husband and I agreed we needed to have Monday morning “business” meetings to discuss what will be done during the week.  I knew we’d be busy, but I didn’t realize how busy during the early stages.

Hopefully next week, we’ll have the plumbing finished, the rebar set, the electric laid and the concrete poured.

Hard to believe that this summer there will be a house setting on top of this foundation.

Aerial shot of Oak Haven, courtesy of Mark Langford Photography.

Aerial shot of Oak Haven, courtesy of Mark Langford Photography.

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First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 62

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Jill English Johnston

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Psalm 62:1, NIV

Rest.

After a busy holiday season, rest sounds good. My daughter recently commented having kids of your own definitely makes you appreciate all the work your parents put into making Christmas special. Shopping, baking, cleaning, decorating, assembling, addressing, and wrapping. Not to mention Christmas programs at church and at school and a plethora of Christmas parties. Maybe throw in some packing and traveling, if relatives don’t live close by or if you’ve planned that awesome Christmas vacation. Then, after it’s all over, everything has to be cleaned up, packed up, and stored away until next year.

No wonder we’re tired.

Isn’t it a joy to know our Heavenly Father calls us to rest.

The Lord established the precedent right from the start.
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Genesis 2:2

When the Lord established his people, he incorporated a rhythm of rest into their lives. The Sabbath was addressed sixteen times in Exodus.
“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord.”
Exodus 35:2

I once heard a speaker comment on how good our God is to tell us to take naps, referring to the Sabbath as a day to rest and recharge. I love that. Naps suddenly become holy. Spiritual. Blessed.
And don’t we feel blessed after we wake up? Recharged. Rejuvinated. Refreshed.
Whatever day we choose, for whatever reason we choose it, we need a day each week to slow down, pause, and relax.

For Christians and Jews, its a command, one of the Ten Commandments. For everyone, it is not only important, it can be paramount to our overall spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health.

The second part of Exodus 35:2 says “Whoever does any work on it (the sabbath) is to be put to death.”

And Exodus 31:14 says “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.”

Thankfully, we no longer live under the law. The whole death thing seems kind of harsh. It makes me appreciate living under grace all the more. But, I think there are some spiritual truths to be considered in these passages.

According to WebMD, lack of proper rest can lead to increased stress levels, decreased mental capacity (including slowed reaction times and impaired judgment), depression, illness and chronic pain, to name a few. It can put us at risk for heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, high blood pressure, strokes, and diabetes. I would also surmise that all work and no rest impedes and interferes with maintaining healthy relationships. Sounds a lot like a recipe for death and being cutoff from our friends and family.

Maybe God knew a little something about the people he created. Maybe, just maybe, he knew what we needed in order to thrive.

Jesus knew the importance of the Sabbath. He was always quick to distinguish between legalism and the heart of the law.
“Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27
And he recognized the need to rest for himself and his disciples.
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mark 6:31

And one day, we will enter the ultimate rest.
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.”
Hebrews 4:9-10

But, until then, let’s consider the benefits and blessings of being well rested.A day to rest

I encourage you to make one more New Year’s resolution. Resolve to observe the Sabbath, to take a day of rest, to take a break from the rat race, to build in some downtime into your busy schedule.

Go ahead, take that nap. It does a body good.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank you that you are the Lord of the Sabbath. What joy to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, to rest in the shadow of the Almighty. In your tender mercy, Good Shepherd, you have us lie down in green pastures, you lead us beside quiet waters, and you restore our souls. 

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Remembering 2016

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

christmas-2016Another year of changes, challenges, and celebrations.
But isn’t that how life is?

The Lord has filled our hearts with more joy (Psalm 4:8, NLT)

A quick recap of our amazing year:

* Throughout the year, we enjoyed many visits with family and friends, including our granddaughter, Scarlette (and Heather and Jarred, of course)
* In June, we were delighted to have Daniel join us from Hawaii for a couple of graduations and a wedding
* We celebrated Heather’s graduation from AG-C Forecasting school at Keesler AFB and Jonny’s graduation from Clemens High School (he also earned his International Baccalaureate Diploma)
~ Heather received orders to UWDC/NOAD Norfolk, VA
~ Jonny was accepted into the engineering program at Baylor University
* Heather, Jarred, and Scarlette then transferred to Norfolk, VA, to Heather’s new duty station. Jarred started a new job with a car dealership
* Jonny kept busy over the summer with Baylor orientation and line camp, as well as a trip to Canada to visit his friend Avery
* We were blessed to attend three weddings for three amazing couples:
Micayla & Hayden, Matthew & Lori, and Kayle & Patrick
* We took two trips to Pennsylvania to visit Jill’s parents and family and although it coincided with two life-threatening visits to the hospital for Jill’s mom, we are thankful she is home and doing well
* After a lot of work, some negotiation, and crazy travel arrangements to get to the closing, we finally sold our house in Mississippi
* We enjoyed a fun-filled Thanksgiving with Jon’s family
* We look forward with expectation to what the Lord has for us in the coming year.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.
The Lord be with you all, this Christmas,and always.
(2 Thessalonians 3:16, NLT, Christmas added)

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Building Oak Haven – laying a foundation

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

After an initial freakout as to how high our foundation will actually be in the back of the house (we thought the front of our property was a lot more level than it really is), the husband and I concluded we will have an awesome view from the patio.

height-of-back-foundation

Standing at the back corner, where my study will be.

view-from-future-patio

View from the back patio

 

It’s the first of what I know will be many “Yikes, this is different than we expected, now what?”

It’s interesting to watch what goes into building the foundation of a house  We watched loads of gravel and dirt being delivered to fill in the forms defining the perimeter of the house. Workers are now filling bags with dirt and stacking them up to make the foundation level from front to back. Then the plumber and electrician will lay their pipes. After that, rebar will be set to ensure a strong, solid foundation.  Then concrete will be poured.

I can’t help myself. I love seeing spiritual applications in life.

When we selected this particular piece of property, one of the things we considered was the cost of building the house. Some of the lots in our neighborhood have really steep drop offs or challenging terrain that would require higher costs to build than we could afford. Jesus tells his disciples ““But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?  Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.” Luke 14:28-29, NLT 

When I begin every endeavor, do I consider the cost involved (often not just a financial cost)? Do I think it through to the end and whether I have the means and ability to see it to completion? Do I ask my heavenly Father whether or not it is what He has for me to do (for He will provide, where I am lacking).

We are also pleased to build on ground with both a layer of dirt and and solid rock.  We had engineered plans drawn up to ensure the foundation was reinforced where it needed to be.  Jesus tells us a wise man builds his house upon a rock. He compares it to living a life following his teaching. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” Matthew 7:24-25,NLT

Have I made Christ the foundation for my life (1 Corinthians 3:11)?  Not just my initial commitment, but do I every day let Christ provide my security, my reinforcement? Do I allow God’s word to instruct me, guide me, correct me?  Am I searching it each day, meditating on His truths?

My husband and I spend a lot of time researching and planning our house and visiting the construction site to see how thing are progressing. This convicts me to assess my heart and ask myself, am I spending as much time and energy investing in my spiritual foundation and my relationship with the Lord.

 

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First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 60

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

God! you walked off and left us, kicked our defenses to bits
And stalked off angry. Come back. Oh please, come back!
Psalm 60:1, MSG

As the year wraps up, have you taken a moment in the busyness of the season to pause and reflect? Have you looked back over, reviewed, contemplated, mulled over, mused on, thought about the last twelves months?

Are you relishing in the memories? Wishing you could relive some moments again. Or do you not want to, because you really don’t want to relive it? Once was enough.

Do you have successes? Goals accomplished? Satisfaction? Joys?
Do you have unmet expectations? Unfinished goals? Disappointments? Frustrations?

For some, it’s a year of firsts, of celebrations, of triumphs.  First kisses. Wedding vows. First homes. The birth of a child.  Graduations. The first day of kindergarten, or the first semester of college. The first day of a new job, or the first day of retirement.

For others, it’s a year of ups and downs. This year, I’ve attended two graduations, three weddings and two funerals (both way too young).  I’ve talked about the c-word with friends, wondering what the future holds for them. I’ve stood at the side of my mother’s hospital bed, not knowing whether she would pull through (so thankful she did). I’ve sent my youngest off to college and celebrated my granddaughter’s second birthday. I’ve stared at my still unfinished novel. And I’ve seen the start of construction for our new home.

For many, it has been a difficult year. Broken relationships. Demanding bosses. Financial struggles. Miscarriages. Divorce. Unexpected moves. Natural disasters. Illnesses. Accidents. Deaths.

How has the year treated you?  How have you come through?
Battered? Worn? Beaten down? Defeated?

Maybe you feel like the Psalmist, that God has walked off and left you, that He’s angry and has left you all alone.
You’ve pleaded with Him to come back. But it feels as if heaven is silent. Maybe you’ve given up. Why bother any more?

Take heart my friend. God has not abandoned you.
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”” Deuteronomy 31:8

The new day dawns. The new year begins. Our God is in the business of new things.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:19
“Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.” Isaiah 48:6

What new thing are you waiting for? Are you looking for the new thing God desires to do for you, in you?
Is it a new life?
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
Is it a new heart and spirit?
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Is it new strength?
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Is it new hope?
“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” Psalm 94:19
Is it a new attitude?
“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:23

In the new year, celebrate what should be celebrated, mourn what needs to be mourned, but do not think the Lord has walked off and left you. He loves you, He wants what’s best for you, and He will be with you in the midst of every high and every low.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, You are a God of firsts. A God who makes all things new. As I look ahead into the new year, may your grace give me new life, a new heart, a new spirit, new strength, new hope, and a new attitude in all things.

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