Framing
Today I got the first wall framed. Quite a learning experience. I found a different neighbor this time to help me lift what I had constructed and help me get it in place. We had to try three different approaches before the frame landed properly. While he was helping me his builder came by that was going to build his deck and game me his card. He didn’t wince at the work I had done so far, maybe that’s a good thing. I put two nails to hold it in place until I secure it finally and one of them i couldn’t get out to shift the frame slightly. Need to get a nail puller of some kind to get the final alignment of the frame. I’ll get to that.

Hoping to be ready for rough in inspection Friday. As long as I can get to building the other frame before then I have a friend coming Friday morning to help me with some of the details of completing the framing. Here’s my first wall framed:

Introduction
I have often read peoples accounts of projects they have taken on and blogged about along the way. I’m about to pursue an endeavour I have zero experience in and thought it would be fun to blog about it.

If you look at these pdfs ( pantry_house_1-4 & pantry_1-2 ) you’ll see the plan I submitted to the Town of Apex in application for the building permit that give a basic layout of my first floor of my house the construction of the frame for the walls. Creating the pantry will open up our kitchen space so that we can remodel it and gain lots of counter top and cabinet space, which we severely lack right now.

Pemission
First step, which I almost forgot to do, was to get permission from the Town and the HOA. A huge applause for my HOA! I submitted my request last Tuesday to the management company, was visited by the president of the HOA Wednesday for a 5 min review, left for vacation to the beach thursay and had an approval letter in the mail when I returned Saturday evening. A second applause for the Town of Apex. I submitted my building permit application Thursday before I left for vacation and despite their being short a set of hands in the office they still beat their usual five day turn around. I was called Monday morning with an inviation to pick up (and pay for) my approval. $75 bucks for the building permit and $40 bucks for the electrical. I have no idea if that’s reasonable or not. On the other hand, what choice do I have?

My plans estimated a $600 build cost. We’ll see how that goes. I plan to keep track of the cost of materials and leave out the cost of tools that I add to my collection along the way Though, I think I’ll be able to borrow tools I need.

Investigation
My plans called for ten foot walls and replacing the column on the porch with a set of double treated 2x4s. This was a rough guess that I don’t think is too far off from what I needed. I’d torn out pieces of the siding and moulding on the porch to form a plan of attack and decided yesterday to go get my first round of materials:

• 4 treated 2′x4′x10′s
• 2 treated 2′x4′x8′s
• 16 2′x4′x105″ studs
• 4 2′x4′x96″ studs
• Box of galvanized nails
• Box of Decking Screws
• 5 Red Head masonry anchor bolts

Already up to $140, I had estimated $55 for framing materials. Oops!

Fun story here. On my plans I did not specify how I would attach the frame to the existing porch foundation. The town wrote in that they expected me to use !/2″ anchor bolts 6′ on center no more then 12″ from the corners. I wanted to be sure I bought the correct bolts so I asked someone at Lowes what would fit this requirement. The employee told me that anchor bolts are set in concrete when it’s poured and that I would probably have to re-pour a new foundation. I was confused with this so I started to call the town to ask what I was missing. Before I could complete dialling the number a guys approached me, apologized for eaves dropping my conversation and offered his assistance,  worked in construction, as he thought he had overhead me getting misinformation. He proceeded to kindly lead me to the proper anchor bolts and walk me through a very detailed instruction on how to use them. I had a few more questions but was interrupted by my 2 yr old asking me to take him to the potty, who later told me that he wanted his mommy and “Lowes is not fun”. I hoped he just meant that particular visit since he usually has fun there riding the lawn mowers. So we went and got the lumber and I let him ride on the flat bed cart. Hopefully this was a decent recovery.

So here’s a picture of the porch post investigation:

The column is a hollow pvc like construction. I’m not sure if it’s weight or load bearing so I’m going to treat it like it is. You can’t see it in this pic, but the foundation is painted brick like next to the wood steps in this pic with a layer at the top of unpainted brick and filled in with concrete. Standard porch? as far as I know. At this point I’m working to tear out enough of the molding and siding to take exact measurements for the frame and start to build it. Once I have the measurements I need to cut and construct each wall frame and put them into place. Once in place I’ll drill through the wood into the brick/concrete to attach the frame to the foundation. Then I’ll use the deck screws to attach the frame to the existing walls.

More to come.

No matter what happens, a Christian always has a hope in our saviour. A saviour that has shed his blood for our sins and will return one day to take us from this life to eternal life.

No matter how rotten of a day or how grim your circumstances seem. Rejoice. Give praise to your Lord. You are living his will and your purpose is to praise him.

Bob Kauflin: Living Like A Psalmist

¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:16-17 (ESV)

⁴ Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!

Psalm 65:4 (ESV)

In college the phrase “what’s the therefore there for?” was burned into my brain for all eternity. Whenever I read Romans 12:1 that phrase pops into my head. Though, I hardly ever take the time to go back to Romans 11 and remind myself of it. It was nice to have just been taught on Romans 11 this morning as I was meditating on Romans 12:1 in preparation for the youth group meeting.

Enter the therefore, helping us understand God’s mercy.

²⁵ Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

²⁷“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”²⁸As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. ³²For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

³³Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:25-36 (ESV)

I think the meat of where we can understand the mercy 12:1 is referencing is in versus 27-32. Israel was disobedient and enemies of God so that we could receive mercy, that is, Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Now by the mercy shown to us, because of their disobedience, they too can receive mercy for their disobedience. Christ is the reason for the season. The reason he came was just not just to save sinners. The reason he came was so that God could have mercy on all (Rom 11:32).

I often get wrapped up in my sinful self-centred-ness. God is quick to remind me that his plan is much bigger than my simple mind can comprehend. After reminding me this, again, a response to this understanding has been so eloquently placed just following the text at the end of chapter 11 with an appeal to begin chapter 12:

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Merry Christmas

… “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus Christ had no sins of his own; he was made sin with our sins, on the cross.

As we look at the cross, we can begin to understand the terrible implications of these words. At twelve noon “there was darkness over the whole land” which continued for three hours until Jesus died. With the darkness came silence, for no eye should see, and no lips could tell, the agony of soul which the spotless Lamb of God now endured. The accumulated sins of all human history were laid upon him. Voluntarily he bore the in his own body. He made them his own. He shouldered full responsibility for them.

And then in desolate spiritual abandonment that cry was wrung from his lips, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It was a quotation from the first verse of Psalm 22. No doubt he had been meditating during his agony on its description of the sufferings and glory of the Christ. But why did he quote that verse? Why not one of the triumphant verses at the end? Why not, “You who fear the Lord, praise Him!” or “Dominion belongs to the Lord”? Are we to believe that it was a cry of human weakness and despair, or that the Son of God was imagining things?

No. These words must be taken at their face value. He quoted this verse of Scripture, as he quoted all others, because he believed he himself was fulfilling it. He was bearing our sins. And God who is “of purer eyes than to behold evil” and cannot “look on wrong” turned away his face. Our sins came between the Father and the Son. The Lord Jesus Christ who was eternally with the Father, who enjoyed unbroken communion with him throughout his life on earth, was thus momentarily abandoned. Our sins sent Christ to hell. He tasted the torment of a soul estranged from God. Bearing our sins, he died our death. He endured instead of us the penalty of separation from God which our sins deserved.

Then at once, emerging from that outer darkness, he cried in triumph, “It is finished,” and finally, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” And so he died. The work he had come to do was completed. The salvation he had come to win was accomplished. The sins of the world were borne. Reconciliation to God was available to all who would trust this Savior for themselves, and receive him as their own. Immediately, as if to demonstrate this truth publicly, the unseen hand of God tore down the curtain of the temple and hurled it aside. It was needed no longer. The way into God’s holy presence was no longer barred. Christ had “opened the gate of heaven to all believers.” And thirty-six hours later he was raised from death, to prove that he had not died in vain.

I don’t think that the movie was trying to depict the sacrificial death that Christ dies for the sake of believers. Though, the movie does a  fairly good job of it. Christ died for sinners, of whom he owed nothing to. He died that they would be freed from the wrath they deserved for their sins. Walt dies for his next door neighbours, of whom he owed nothing to. He dies that they would be freed from the pain and suffering the gang was inflicting on the family. A fairly important difference is that this family did not necessarily deserve to be mistreated by the gang. Sinners deserve eternal  death.

I’ll admit the parallel isn’t perfect. Though, it was and unexpected ending to an unexpected story. An ending that reminded me of and unexpected sacrifice that Christ made. A sacrifice that those who  believe and follow will live eternally with Christ.

In the Christian life we experience moments of victory and seasons of defeat.

- Daniel Baker

I feel I’m in one of those moments of victory, as I’m about to complete reading a book in its entirety. The first in quite some time. I’ve picked up, read a couple chapters and put down a number of books over the past season of defeat. I pray this moment of victory would turn into a life long passion. I’ve always struggled to desire to read, anything. What better reason to put that weakness to rest than seeking to be more like Christ.

My heart keeps beating even though I can’t control it.
My lungs keep breathing I admit I don’t know how.
Bring the flood or bring the fire in this lifetime
I’m ready for the altar or the plough
There are always days when I don’t feel like singing
There are always days when I don’t care at all
But I know the King of All Creation reigns completely
Over every moment great and small

Long Live the King, Aaron Shust

I was on the treadmill tonight listening to Aaron Shust and training for my triathlon reflecting on the evening. Quite an emotional night. Today my wife had accompanied my sister to the doctor for a consult for a surgical procedure she’ll receive this Thursday. When my wife returned home we were discussing the pre-surgical consult they attended and the “slim to none” complications came up in the conversation. Somewhere in the discussion the likelihood (or rather not so likelihood) of their occurrence got lost. After losing my Mom to MS November of 2007 it was a hard pill to swallow entertaining the “worst case” complications that could occur this Thursday and the conversion started to close with me pretty shook up and upset. I think imagining my sister with a breathing tube while she will be under escalated my impression of the procedure and really threw me for a loop.

The song quoted above reminded me of God’s Sovereignty and comforted me in knowing that the outcome of the surgery and likelihood of complications is in the hands of God. His will is ordained for His Glory and without our trust resting solely in that truth we selfishly attempt to take control of a situation we ultimately have no control over. 2 songs later I was singing along with these lyrics:

Separated from night, You spoke and then there was light, They point to You
Divided water from land, Bowing to Your command, They point to You
The sun that’s blazing at noon, And every phase of the moon, They point to You.
A baby’s cry and the way, A sunset closes the day, They point to You.

Create Again, Aaron Shust

Another simple truth struck me. Months (maybe a year or so ago? haha) we had studied Romans 1. Versus 19 and 20 teach us that God’s creation displays his “eternal power and divine nature” through his creation. All and any of his creations. From rocks to babies. It goes on from there to teach us that this display is enough for us to know that He exists and is to be worshiped. No excuses. This truth is a foundation that we’ve referenced throughout our study of Romans. Last night I finished Chapter 3 in John Stott’s Basic Christianity. In Chapter 1 he starts the book out by quoting these two versus and declares this truth.

I don’t know that I started this post with a particular point to make. I just was just reflecting on sovereignty and creation.

Aaron Shust
Whispered and Shouted
© 2007 Bridge Building Music, Inc. / White Spot Publishing

I’ve been praying for the past year for a desire to read and a yearning to study God’s truth more earnestly than anything else in this world that entertains me. Praise the Lord for a prayer that’s  being answered.

For now Basic Cristianity is a short read and I’m enjoying it. So I’ll probably journal about that again before the others.