Project Bathroom - Day 18

Almost done!!! Tonight I grouted the bathroom. It was a lot of prep but the grouting itself was probably the easiest part I have done thus far. There is a haze b/c of the sand since it is still wet - this is supposed to come up with a paper towel when it is dry. Next steps: seal the edges by the tub and vanity, put the trim back on, clean, clean, clean, have Travis put the toilet back, tack down the carpet, and finally one last cleaning...it should be done this weekend - Woo hoo!!!

1 Peter 2:13-15

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—" 1 Peter 2:13-15

As a quick review verse 11 and 12 spell out in general terms the way we should fulfill our calling. We are to abstain from fleshly lusts. We are to conduct ourselves in a godly fashion, so that while men may accuse us falsely for doing good in this life, they will give praise to God for these same deeds when they stand before Him at Christ’s return.

Verses 13-15 continue as examples to verses 11-12. Also remember the context of Peter's letter is all about suffering.

Step 1: Submit to government - even when they are persecuting you!

When Peter is writing the letter, the Romans are becoming more and more displeased with the Jews. And the Jews in return were actively opposing Roman control. In one word they were being rebellious. The Romans even started accusing the Jews of crimes against the state. And since the Christian church was so new - Romans tended to combine the Jews and Christians into one group. Peter’s words in our text are meant to avoid any unnecessary charges against the church and to arm the church with attitudes and actions which would show these charges to be false.

The purpose of government and those who govern is completely consistent with Peter’s call for excellent conduct and submission to civil authorities. While the form of government may differ, the task is the same. Even a corrupt government is better than none at all. As bad as communism may seem to us, the people of Yugoslavia were better off under communism than the people of Bosnia are today.

Today we are asked to do the same. Obey the government laws. There are the extreme examples - Don't bomb an abortion clinic. And the more subtle examples - wear your seat belt. And everything in between.

When we submit, the unbelieving world notices. And just in case it is still hard for to understand why we should submit to the government's authority...God says it is His will. (I know, pretty simple right. Aren't we always saying "I just want to do God's will for my life.)

Today I will start with obey the speed limit...

Project Bathroom
Day 1: Overall today was a great day. After visiting Marc and Mariah who loaned me practically all the tools I would need and after Larry gave me his lifesaving knee pads...I set out to tile my guest bathroom. I grew up with carpet in bathrooms - but after a few roommates...my guest bath was in no shape for carpet!! So, I was going to hire someone to do it for me but why do that when you can do it yourself, right?? Ask me tomorrow, when I can't move if I still like that decision. Today I removed the carpet, tack board, padding and trim. I put down the underlay material with thin set. And then I started dry setting the tiles (translation: I cut tile then cut some more tile and then cut some more tile). I decided to put the tile on the diagonal - and now I know why Travis laughed at me yesterday. The hardest part was the vent area and toilet area - but those are done. Hopefully tomorrow I can get everything else cut and then thin set the tile next week. The goal is to have it done by when my parents arrive Labor Day weekend. Here are a couple of shots of the progress thus far...

And yes Dad, I will fix the stripes that I couldn't reach behind the toilet when I painted last year :)

I'm Back!!

Sorry for the short sabbatical on the blog. So much has happened since my last post - where to start??? On a sad note - I lost my grandpa (my dad's dad). It was the 2nd grandpa in 2 months. Then there was Supercamperific followed a week later by VBS at Southside. So many great stories to share - so stayed tuned!!! And of course, we have to get back to 1 Peter. Here are a few pictures from the last month:

Sheri, Nettie, Laura and Jackson at Recharge

4 girls from my cabin chilln' before service

Rally time at VBS