Brad and I wanted to do something special when we were building our house since it was more to us than just some wood and concrete. This house represented over a year of dreaming and planning and then revising those plans over and over again. If there's one thing you need to be while building a house it's flexible. I think people tend to get trapped into thinking if they build a house from scratch, it will turn out exactly how they want. If you have unlimited money and time, that may be true. That wasn't the case for us as we battled the mounting obstacles from digging through a power plant graveyard, to special orders being delayed or coming in completely wrong time after time. We didn't have the luxury of waiting since I was about 6 months pregnant and we wanted to move before baby Lepper came. There were countless nights and weekends spent working on the house and wandering through home improvement stores. (I called these our "Lowe's dates") But it was nice to take a little break one evening to write a few verses and pray over the shell of what would soon be our new home. You can find part one here "A New House Blessing: Part I".
Master Bath
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Proverbs 31:30
I tried to write this verse where I thought my mirror would be. I've never considered myself a super "girly-girl", but I enjoy looking and feeling pretty. As Brad and I grow older together, and especially after carrying an almost 9 pound baby, my body is far from the body he fell in love with. He would tell you he loves me even more now that I've given him a healthy son, but I can't help but feel self-conscious about things I never used to worry about. I can barely look at pictures of when we first met and I secretly compare myself to that young faced, tanned skinned girl smiling back at me. How ironic I never thought I was beautiful then, either. If God says beauty is fleeting, then it has to be true, and I would rather be praised for fearing the Lord than for just a pretty face.
Master Closet
"It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you-the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. This beauty will never disappear and is worth much to God."
I Peter 3:3-4
This verse is in our master closet as a reminder when I'm throwing all my clothes on floor because they don't fit, or they're out of style, or they're unflattering, that even the most expensive item I could ever put on my body doesn't compare to what comes from within my body. I could be the best-dressed woman on the face of the earth, yet still fall short of pleasing God. Are our bodies a temple that we should take care of? Yes, of course. There's nothing wrong with dressing well or having nice things, but I hope I always remember to strive for the beauty that comes from a gentle and quiet spirit.
Guest Bedroom
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2
Wow. It's crazy to think that the homeless person you pass on your way to work, or the little old lady you help on the bus might actually be an angel. I've always been hesitant to give away money to the people holding "GOD BLESS" signs made out of cardboard on the side of the interstate. Where do we draw the line between helping and enabling? It's a difficult and sometimes scary part about Christianity, and I certainly don't have the answers. One of reasons we were excited to build this new house is so we could finally have an extra room for people to stay with us. In our old house, we literally had to blow up an air mattress and put it in our living room if anyone was staying the night. We pray that this new house gives us an opportunity to take better care of our guests and family.
Storm Shelter
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18:2
I thought this would be a perfect verse to go on our storm shelter. Just like our shelter will protect us from raging winds, so too will God protect us from the storms of life. As humans, we're always looking for security. We crave consistency whether it's in our jobs, our relationships, our homes. I've only lived on this earth for 26 years, but I've gone through enough experiences to know that everything changes except for our Creator. Marriages that you thought were bulletproof end up broken, careers that you've built your life upon disappear overnight. This verse gives us hope that we can find refuge in God, no matter what life brings.
Great Room/Living Room
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Matthew 7:24
I love the poetry and creative writing found in the Bible. Jesus spoke in parables and you can find all sorts of metaphors and similes throughout the pages of scripture. We didn't build our house on a rock, but we did pour a deep and sturdy foundation of concrete for our house to rest on. I loved how this verse compared listening and obeying God's word to building a house!
"Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established, by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
Proverbs 24:3-4
This is another great verse related to building a house. As much as I love to decorate and design, this is a great reminder that wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are what fill our rooms with something valuable.
Office
"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 19:21
How many times have I thought I wanted something, only to be turned down, rejected, or led down another path? I thank God that He is continuing to refine me, challenge me, teach me, and grow me spiritually. All too often it seems that we only mature through difficult situations that weren't exactly in our "plan". We would never plan to feel overwhelmed, angry, stressed, or brokenhearted. But when I look back on my life, those were the times I learned a valuable lesson or skill that helped me in the future. This verse is in our office to remind us of our purpose on this earth, and that is to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in whatever we do.
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!"
Romans 11:33
This verse is also in our office and is Brad's favorite verse. The story goes he was looking for a verse to prove a point to someone, when he came across this and it stopped him in his tracks. How unsearchable are His ways. For all of our doctrine and Theology and religion, we still can't fully grasp the wisdom and knowledge of God. That can be frustrating, right!? Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? Was Jonah alive or dead in the belly of the fish? Why do people suffer or struggle with infertility or a physical handicap or the loss of a loved one? Why, why, why? This is where faith comes in. And letting go. And being still. Some things will never be revealed to us, but at least we know that God loves us so much that he sacrificed his son, Jesus, so that we can live in paradise with Him forever!
Nursery
"Children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Psalm 127:3
Brad and I waited longer than most couples to have kids. And we would have waited a little longer if God hadn't decided Roman needed a place in the world. (Remember the whole, "many are the plans...but the Lord's purpose prevails?) Before we had a baby life was good. I'm not going to lie. We were both working and enjoying the time we got to spend with each other and our fur baby, Gracie. We went to movies and weekend vacations and slept in sometimes. We didn't worry about spit up or drool or nap time or dirty diapers. I was terrified to lose that lifestyle. More and more people are waiting to get married and have kids, if they have them at all. And I get it. Being a DINK (double income no kids) was awesome. But wait a minute, it says right here the fruit of the womb is a reward. You mean this stinky, crying, high maintenance little fart bucket is a REWARD?? And just like that my selfish heart began to soften and I've gained more in becoming a mother than I did in losing my DINK status. Whether a child is healthy or disabled or adopted or was born into the arms of Jesus, every life is precious. I'm finding myself falling in love with our son and thanking God that we had an unplanned pregnancy.
"'I know the plans I have for you' Declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Jeremiah 29:11
Brad once told me, "You know, he's God's child first." And it's true. As much as we love our son and think that we had everything to do with his existence, Roman wouldn't be here if God didn't have a plan for him. I pray over this baby more than I have prayed over anyone in my life. Fire and water and sharp objects suddenly seem extra scary to me, but the one thing I find myself praying for the most is that Roman would believe in Jesus as His savior and live a life that is pleasing to God. If I call myself a follower of Christ, then I need to be able to trust the One who created my son with his life. This verse is written in the corner of the nursery above Roman's crib and I smile at the thought that he is sleeping under God's promise.
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