Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Open Mouth, Insert…

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Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Philippians 2:14-16

One of the best gifts that God has given us is our mouth, but it can also be the biggest problem. We often use it to complain, criticize, and fault find with no idea the impact those negatives have on our life. Every word that comes out of our mouths has power in it ~ it can be creative or destructive, positive or negative, so whether we murmur and complain or give thanks and keep a positive attitude, we are feeding our body, mind and spirit with our mouth!

Plain and simple, complaining is a sin! It causes many people a great deal of problems in their lives and destroys the joy of anyone listening. We need to ask ourselves, how quick are we to become impatient and begin to complain when stuck in traffic or while waiting in checkout lines? How quick are we to spot and point out the faults of our friends or family members? Do we complain about our job when we should be thanking God that we have one?

As we can read, Philippians 2:14 says that we are to do everything without complaining or arguing but boy oh boy is that hard to do sometimes and in some situations. However, we need to make it a daily challenge not to complain or find fault with anything or anybody. This does not mean that we don’t correct situations that need to be corrected, or that we live with our heads in the clouds, pretending that nothing negative exists ~ it simply means that we make it our goal in life to be as positive and thankful as possible.

Try getting up every morning and going to bed every night pondering everything you have to be thankful for. Let it be the first thing and last thing you everyday. We need to thank God for the “little” things and the things we take for granted such as a parking place that is close to the door (my favorite), waking up on time for work, the fact that you can walk or see or hear, your children, your health, etc.

Keep at this "challenge" until it's a habit and soon you will be living with an attitude of gratitude. And remember to thank God when the answer to prayer arrives. We enjoy getting our children what they need and ask for, but we feel taken advantage of if they just “grab the goods and run” without stopping to say thank you. And if they say it more than once and are really sincere, it actually motivates us to want to do more for them. God is the same way with us, so be generous in your gratitude. It will sweeten your relationship with the Lord.

Lord God, thank you for everything you've given me, everything you're doing for me and the things that are yet to come. Help me to remember to live with an attitude of gratitude without grumbling and arguing and never forget that I wouldn't have anything if it weren't for you! In your name I pray, Amen.

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