New House

Finally the searching has paid off and we're purchasing a house to remodel and live in ourselves.  It's not far from where we are living now so we're familiar with the neighborhood and like this area.  We close the end of June and will spend a couple of months remodeling a few things, pulling up carpet and installing some more tile, painting, changing out fixtures, installing granite countertops, etc.

These are some "before" photos -- it will be a while before we have any "afters".

We really wanted a pool and we will have one --

There is a view of the Lake from the back of the house and pool area ... this is a zoom shot so it looks closer than it is in real life but is it an unobstructed view since the house sits high and the land drops down below us.

We wanted more square footage than we have now; the new house is 1700+ square feet so we'll be able to spread out a bit.  My husband works from home and we will have a generous office space so we both can have our office together.  That will free up my guest room for guests!  Yeah!

The pictures are a bit dark since most of the blinds were closed.

Sunken living room -- don't you love the 70's sectional!

Dining Room with pool and Lake view

All Viking appliances in the kitchen -- only a year old -- and a skylight, too

Open to the dining room and the pool and Lake view

Master bath

Master bedroom

Office with two closets!

And a generous size pantry!

I'm getting together paint and carpet and tile samples and can't wait to get started.  Our youngest son who remodeled the house we flipped last year will be doing the work on this one, too -- we are blessed.  We will be working in the hottest part of the summer -- Havasu summers are notorious for heat -- 110 - 115 for weeks on end -- so it's going to be a rather "hot" experience.  I think the pool will get plenty of use during the remodel.

Then when fall comes we'll be turning our attention to the yard and outside areas of the house.  We were fortunate to get a great price on the house and are looking forward to the fun of making it all ours.

Till next time -- Blessings, 

Food for the Spirit -- Doomsday Prep, Not What You Think

These are tumultuous and unsettling times.  Many are making preparations for what they term "doomsday".  It IS a good idea to be aware of the times and make some plans for your family should any disaster strike for whatever reason.

But ultimately our safety and sustenance comes not from what we do physically but from what we do spiritually.  God's Word tells us we should put aside treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20) and that we should always be prepared to help and share with those less fortunate than we are (Proverbs 22:9; Luke 14:13).

From Ephesians, chapter 6, we see that our battle is not primarily against physical powers that may cause us harm, but we fight a battle against an unseen -- but very real -- evil power that desires to destroy us (I Peter 5:8).  If this is the case, then the food and water and fuel and shelter we provide for bona fide emergencies is not enough; and we need to provide a powerful spiritual covering for ourselves and our families.

God offers us defensive weapons.  We need to study and know the truth of God's Word to rightly understand what God wants to tell us; we need to be people of moral integrity who have the good news of the Gospel and the peace it provides deeply embedded in our hearts and minds so we are ready to face whatever comes our way.  God will work with us to develop a shield of faith that will withstand anything the devil can send against us.

And He offers us offensive weapons -- The power of salvation and the Holy Word of God will strengthen and enable us to stand against any form of evil and be victorious in every battle of life.

The key is found in two little words in verse 13 of Ephesians, chapter 6 -- "put on".  You see, God provides everything we need to be victors in the arena of life but we have a part to do.  We have to "put on" or "get dressed" with the armor He provides.  If you leave your armor sitting back in the tent or the Word of God sitting in your bookcase, neither one is going to be of much help in your daily battles.

The treasure of Matthew 6 is hidden inside the sword of Ephesians 6 -- the Word of God.  The best preparation we can make for today and for the future, whatever it may hold, is to be ready to do battle clothed in all that the Word is prepared to provide.

Blessings,