Saturday was a “work on Joseph’s house day”! Because of the quantity of items to be thrown away, Joseph rented a dumpster. By Saturday evening, the dumpster was full: carpet, doors and door frames, toilets, bathtub, shower, ceilings from the dining room and kitchen, partial walls, the back porch, and more were piled into the 40-yard container.
It is exciting to see Joseph’s house take a different twist, although it definitely is in its roughest shape until the rebuilding part begins. Out with the old and in with the new! Reminds me of a spiritual analogy. As we rid our lives of sin and repent, the Lord cleanses our heart. Removing sin isn’t easy, just like demolition. In fact, it can be a messy job, as sometimes it requires going back to individuals we have wronged and asking forgiveness. Rebuilding, which is like cleansing from sin, takes work. It takes effort. “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” (Ezekiel 18:30)

John tore down the porch. It was quite the job. Although at first glance, one might have thought the porch was fine, it wasn’t. The wood was rotted and falling apart–too much to bother trying to repair.



To open up the kitchen, Dad tore out the wall between the dining room and kitchen. Joseph tore out the dining room ceiling as it was built rather strange.

Mixed into the day, Christopher and I worked on two photo sessions with Joshua. He slept most of the time, so that made it nice. Isn’t he adorable?

It was a warm day, and since the guys had taken the ceiling out in the dining room, the attic heat seeped into the house, and it would have been no use to turn on air conditioning.

Near the end of the day, Joseph cut part of the living room wall to open up the dining room a bit more.
Thank you all for your enthusiasm. Even though we haven’t met many of you in person, your support and love for our family is an encouragement.
Love,
Sarah
PS – No news on Melanie. She is now 39 weeks and her due date is Friday.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
–Ezekiel 36:26