Building on a Strong Foundation

I was so honored to be asked to guest post at Mrs. Hines Class last month.  Here is the post I wrote.  I wanted to share it with you.

 

 

Cy and I have been married for almost 15 years and during that time, we have bought and renovated 4 homes and are currently working on house #5.

It’s what we love to do.

Unfortunately, I’ve only been blogging the past three years.  Man, I wish we had a blog during all of our other renovations!  But I have been so blessed by my blog that I couldn’t be more grateful.

I find no greater pleasure than blogging about home and family.

Okay.  I just lied.

Actually, here is the truth:

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One thing I know for sure is that life is not about a pretty home and fabulous décor.

 

It is so much more.

 

Life is about Jesus.

Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

I’ve known it all my life.  I am so grateful for a mom and dad that taught me about the love of Jesus.

But never have I experience that love more than when my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 gastric cancer almost three years ago.  Her faith in Jesus left me speechless.  Her witness for the Lord touched my heart more than anything I have ever known.

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Mom only lived 7 weeks after her diagnosis.

It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through.

But I am so grateful for how her death opened my eyes to so much more.

You see, my mom loved her home.  She loved to decorate it.  She loved thrifting, sewing, painting, and more.  I got my DIY skills from her.  Smile

But when Mom passed away, her home stayed here.  The pictures were still on the walls of her home.  Dishes were still in the cabinets.  Pillows still on the couch and sheets still on the bed.

She couldn’t take any of those things with her.  Her faith in Jesus was all that she needed.

Only our faith in Jesus is what truly matters when we come to the end of our lives.

 

I love the scripture about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

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Here’s what Jesus himself said:

24 “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. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

 

My husband and I want to be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock, Jesus Christ.  So when the trials and struggles of this life hit us hard, we can remain standing.

I witnessed first hand how solid that rock is as I watched my mom stand strong on it during her last days on earth.

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We do not want to be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The sand represents the temporary things of earth and the lies that the world tells us.  The things that do not last.

And when the storms of life come our way, just like a house built on sand, we will crumble.

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So how do we build our lives on a solid foundation?

By hearing God’s word and putting it into practice.

I’m not an expert at being a Christian, and I will never claim that I am.  Honestly, a lot of the time I stink at it.

But I’m trying.

I am trying to lead my children to know the love of Jesus.

I do not have any perfect steps to take, but just practical things we do in our home to build that solid foundation.

1.  We read God’s word.

I have bought my boys little devotional books (specifically for boys) to read at night before they go to bed.  It allows them to read God’s word and apply it to their lives.

2.  We attend church and participate in worship.

I have such great memories of going to church as a child.  Going to church helped me as a child to build a strong foundation on which to stand.  If you are not attending a church regularly,  I would like to encourage you to find a place where you can worship.

3.  We Pray.

This is an area that I can definitely improve on.  I’ve been feeling the need to pray together as a family more often.  More than just blessing the food or praying before bed.  Prayer is more powerful than we could ever imagine.  It’s an unlimited source of God’s power that we so often do not tap into.  I am working on praying more.  For me, I like to write my prayers down in a journal.  It helps me to stay focused as I pray, and it allows me to see all the ways God answers my prayers.  But I want to pray more with my children.  Pray for children in their classes, for loved ones who are sick, for decisions they need to make, etc.  It is so important for parents to pray with their children.

4.  We praise Him through music.

Whenever riding in the car, we listen to KLOVE.  It is such a wonderful radio station.  I love when I hear the boys singing Christian music at the top of their lungs.  And so many songs are full of scripture which my boys are memorizing without even knowing it.  Smile

5.  We talk about Jesus and how his love makes a difference in our everyday lives.

I think it is so important to take time during the day to talk about Jesus and His love with our children.  When the boys tell me about a kid at school who is really mean, we talk about how Jesus wants us to act toward that child.  How would he want us to love that child?

Or when one of the boys is scared about something, we talk about how God is always with us and how He is watching over us.

God isn’t someone we should talk about only on Sundays.   He is an everyday God.

Deuteronomy 6:4–7

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

 

Like I said, I know I don’t have all the answers, but I do have Jesus and His love.

He is our sure foundation.

A foundation that will remain standing no matter what trials come its way.

And believe me, they will come!

Building your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ does NOT mean that you will never have trouble or hardships.

It’s quite the contrary.

But building your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ DOES mean that you will be able to stand strong through those troubles or hardships.  God can even create beauty out of it all.

My prayer for you and me is that we will keep our eyes focused on Christ and that we will strive to build our lives on His word.

 

Many blessings to you!

 

 

 

 

28 Comments

  1. Amen, amen, amen! A beautiful post, Traci–and full of truth. Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom. You and Cy are building a lovely house, but more than that you’re building a wonderful HOME built on faith in Christ. Bless you!

  2. This was such a blessing to read today. Your mom would be so happy that you are using your gifts to bring honor to Him. KLOVE is my station too. God uses so many people to encourage and lift us up along our path. Blessings.

  3. Amen…such a great post! Those trials WILL come and if not for your faith in Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior, they can swallow you up. Thank you for sharing from your heart, your mother would be proud!

  4. What a great post!! Reading your blog is such an encouragement to me. I love how you have posts about DIY stuff, fun giveaways, and the like, but what I love most is your foundation in the Lord, and how you share about it. We’re expecting our first child now, and it is such an encouragement to have that example of how you share about our perfect Savior with your boys. :)

  5. Thank you Traci for such a wonderful post! I love your decorating and your renovating, but I also love how honest and truthful you are, and that you love the Lord, Jesus Christ. This shines through in your posts! I believe that is why I love your blog so much.
    I believe if we lived near each other we would be great friends. All of the things you mentioned is what I strive to do also. I am also working at it everyday!!

  6. Thank you so much for the encouragement. Each of us has our own trials but like you, Jesus has always seen me through. God bless you, Lori

  7. What a beautiful testimony & a beautiful reminder :) Reminds me of one of my favorite songs:
    In Christ Alone by Natalie Grant GREAT post!!

  8. Traci, that is the very BEST message! You bless other when you share your strong testimony of Jesus.
    In return, you will be blessed too! Great post.

  9. After reading this post I love you more each day. This so beautiful and so glad you posted about your heart. Of course I love your remodels but you are such a beautiful person. Thanks so much for this post.

  10. Oh my goodness, what a good word Traci! SOMEONE needed to hear this TODAY. It might have been me.

    Worthy is the lamb who was slain, Holy, Holy is He.

  11. Beautiful words & Word, Traci. Thank you so much for sharing your heart. My mom died 10 years ago after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer. She didn’t really lose the fight because she found Jesus during that time. I’m so grateful that I know that I will see her again.

  12. Your mother was a beautiful woman inside as well as outside and it seems that you are just like her. The way you live your life and the wonderful testimony of your faith would make any parent proud. Your children are so blessed to have a home where God’s word is so openly discussed. They will thank you one day for loving them enough to teach them what life is really about. Blessings to your family.–Shannon

  13. Amen my sister in Christ! An awesome post to remind us how we blessed we are to be able to live our lives for Jesus. It was a blessing to read and I love what you’re doing on here every day!! God Bless you and yours!

  14. I just found you and read your blog which spoke to me in volumes I cannot explain! I lost my oldest child, Walker, 22, this Mother’s Day will be 3 years ago. Losing him has been changed my faith and my walk with the Lord. We all need to focus on him more than Earthly things. That is hard to remember. I am an Interior Designer and have an Interior Design blog. I try to keep it just to interiors but every now and then I sneak in my faith. I think I should do more of that. I should shout it from the mountain tops actually! I keep thinking I will start another blog to chronicle Walker’s death and my experiences walking through the valley of death but another day passes and I don’t do that. Anyway, thanks for being honest and real! I am glad I found you! Lisa Mende

  15. Thanks so much for sharing your personal journey and such a touching story! My mother-in-law was just diagnosed with cancer, so we are all going through that battle together right now. She is also a preacher’s wife, so we too know the importance of a strong foundation. It’s nice to be reminded!

  16. It always gives me hope when others find opportunity and growth when ‘bad things happen’. I was able to do the same with my Dad’s passing.

  17. Preach it sister! Oh and I had no idea you were a fifth houser too! ;) Sorry about your ER trip :( All of the molding you all are planning to add is going to look great. GO CATS!

  18. What an incredible testimony to your Mom. Thank you so much for sharing this. And I appreciate your journey in life and faith. It reminds me that we all have work to do, but pushing toward the goal is our focus! We may falter at times, but God is faithful and helps us back on track!

    Blessings to you and yours,
    Elaine

  19. Awesome blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
    I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.

    Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
    There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any tips? Cheers!

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