From Hidden Dirt to Good Dirt

In the last 2.5 weeks since we took possession of 2.5 acres and a 1957 house, I have been working nearly six days a week gutting the house, ripping out walls, ripping up floors, tearing out old rotting cabinets, cleaning out the crawl space, and digging out access to the septic so it could be pumped and get an enema.  Exposing rot to the air and sunshine.  Removing crap.  Recycling metal, wood, glass, and filling a dumpster with materials that have more than served their lifetime.

And it has given much time to reflecting.  And my favorite kind--reflecting while using my hands (as a philosopher, I'm coming to find that active reflection is when I do my best thinking.  And I've been thinking about the process of purging and cleansing.  Whether I'm working on healing my own crap or walking with others and helping them be healed of their crap, it is much like ripping out an old building.  I can tear down walls that block myself or others from healing--but I don't do the healing myself.  I can help others be get access to their 'septic tank' but I can't deal with others' crap any more than others who help me get access to my 'septic tank' can deal with my crap.

And the worst type of mold or rot is that which is hidden from the sunlight and air--it's locked up and not allowed to breathe or be purified by light.  And those are perfect conditions for rot and mold.  I love dirt, but dirt that is under the house and not ventilated properly can get quite stanky.

Air.  Sunshine.  Cleansing.  Removing.  It's not about hiding--it's about airing out.  And while I've made a mess in the process, it has felt SO good to purge.  Only one or two more days left of this purging and deconstructing before we move into the construction phase of rebuilding and bringing life to places that were stifled and rotting.  Thanks be to God for close friends and a wife who walk with me in this process airing and bringing light.  Life must get messy before it gets good.

By the way, if anyone wants to participate in the last couple days of purging and sledge-hammering, feel free to join me.  Check out this site for more frequent updates and pictures.  The way to 'friend' the page is to 'like' it and then you'll get updates when we post.

Rooted in love

Just got some photos from a wedding I officiated recently for a former philosophy student of mine (now a budding actress)--Rachael, and her now husband--Matt.  It was held on the beautiful grounds of Thornewood Castle--a castle that was removed brick by brick from Wales about a hundred years ago, and shipped to the Northwest and rebuilt near Tacoma as a gift from one of the founders of the Port of Tacoma and given as a wedding gift to his bride.

Photos were taken by Bryan Rupp, here is a link to more photos.

Is your marriage rooted in love, or is your love rooted in marriage?
Whether you are in castles in the sky or getting dirt under your fingernails, my prayer for you both is that may you continue to have your marriage rooted in love, and that your love will be rooted in the covenant of your marriage!

Facebook? Me? Really?

Well, not really.  We started a facebook page for the major renovation project on the 1957 house on the land we just bought.  As one 'friend' said, 'that's a good idea, because it will be updated more often than your blog."  Yes, I guess my friends know me well. 

Anyway, check it out.  You have to 'like' it in order to get the updates.  Which confuses me.  What if you want to follow it, but you don't really like it?  I guess Facebook does not allow for such nuances.  So I guess you can 'like' the fact that you are getting updates--even if you, for some reason, don't really like what we're doing. 

In any case the page is called 'Hidden Springs.'  Check it out whether you like it or not.  =)

Crossing the Threshold

After hanging out in the threshold space for much longer than we expected, yesterday it finally became official.  We now have possession of the 2.5 acres that we have been dreaming about.  Exactly four months to the day from the day in March when we first looked at this land, we now have the joy and responsibility of taking care of this land and having this land take care of us.  There are several big projects ahead of us--the first one being the near gutting and renovation of the 1957 house that is on the property.

TODAY I will be setting up the tools, the saws, the supplies, and doing a general preparation of the job site and getting ready for the demolition--which will begin TOMORROW with the first sledge hammer through the first wall.

More updates to come soon...