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So this morning, that is my prayer. Awake my soul!<\/p>\n
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Chapter 7 of the doll house is what you\u2019ll be reading today. Task is not all that dissimilar to what God\u2019s Spirit does in our lives. Taking bits and pieces to create something beautiful. I pray you\u2019ll allow God\u2019s Spirit to His work in you today.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Building a Doll House: Work \u2013 Chapter 7<\/b><\/p>\n
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As my husband I continued work on the doll house for our granddaughter, Joy, it became obvious that there would be some work involved. I have pictures to prove it!<\/p>\n
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Some of the work was tedious. Some seemed ridiculous. Sometimes there were multiple steps involved to get the final product. And sometimes, I simply had to wait. Yes, there was work involved.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n For the windows, I practiced putting them together a few times with pieces flying all over, until I got the hang of it. Then glue was placed in the corners and a rubber band carefully drawn around the window frame. The windows came out perfect!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The roof is covered with shingles. Before they could be placed on the roof, the shingles soaked in stain. Then they were spread out on a piece of cardboard to dry. Two or three times each day I had to \u201cstir\u201d the shingles to allow complete and uniform drying.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After waiting for the shingles to dry, the tedious process of gluing shingles on, one at a time began. I learned quickly that I could only stand the slow process for short periods of time, so I would set a goal of at least finishing three rows of shingles before giving up. This took days. Actually I think it took a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s no different with our spiritual lives. There are times that it just plain takes work. It may be tedious, involved, slow, and we may have to wait, but in the end, our lives are put together perfectly by the Creator.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ve memorized some Scripture this year. Some to prove that I could actually do it. Some for a Vacation Bible School skit I was involved with. But what I learned was that it is difficult for me. It is tedious work. I have to repeat it over and over. Write it over and over. But in the end, I know that those verses or passages are in my head and my heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And if the memorizing of Scripture does not change me, then I might as well be memorizing a dictionary. God\u2019s Word is active and living and when it gets into our hearts, it will require something of us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our spiritual journey will require us to take multiple steps to maturity. In 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV), Peter shares a progression to escape the corruption of the world and participate in the divine nature. \u201cFor this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yes it is involved. Yes there are multiple steps. But the end product is so worth it! Wouldn\u2019t we each like to be effective? Productive? If the answer is yes, then these are the steps to take. Maybe it isn\u2019t as difficult as you first thought.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes we wait. Wait for our hearts to be softened. Wait for our hearts to be broken. And when that happens, the Holy Spirit can work through us in wondrous, exciting ways.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Spirit of Truth will counsel (John 14:16); remind us of all we\u2019ve learned (John 14:26); guide us into all truth (John 16:13); help in our weakness (Romans 8:26); intercede for us when we don\u2019t know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27); and encourage (Acts 9:31).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The accomplishments are limitless with God\u2019s Spirit at work in us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even though the dollhouse was a large, looming task that required a great deal of work, in the end it was truly worth every moment spent on it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is the same with our spiritual journey. Perhaps it seems like you\u2019ll never be able to reach the goal. Perhaps you\u2019re wondering if God could ever love you because of your past (or even your present situation).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just know that any effort on your part is overshadowed by the grace that God is willing to lavish upon you. Don\u2019t underestimate all that God has in store for you and your life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the end, it is worth it all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donna<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to leave a comment, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Joy's](\"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Joys-Dollhouse-Assembly-033m-300x199.jpg\")
<\/a>Every piece of the dollhouse had to be put together, but only after being painted. Their suggestion was to use a sponge to apply the paint. It didn\u2019t work. Instead, I used a faithful, proven friend. A small paintbrush and painted each piece.<\/p>\n![\"Joy's](\"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Joys-Dollhouse-Assembly-036m-300x199.jpg\")
<\/a>The house has not one, but two wrap around porches. There are railings along each porch and those railings had to be painted and glued together. Each spindle was painted, sanded, and then painted again before they could be glued into place. Thank goodness there was a template for this step!<\/p>\n![\"Joy's](\"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Joys-Dollhouse-Assembly-042m-300x186.jpg\")
<\/a>As I neared the last few rows, I counted shingles. I originally stained approximately 1,150 shingles. It wasn\u2019t enough. I was going to be 3 shingles short! By checking at this point, I was able to \u201cpiece\u201d together these few shingles from trimmed shingles and I placed them throughout the last few rows. It actually isn\u2019t noticeable.<\/p>\n![\"Joy's](\"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Joys-Dollhouse-Assembly-045m-199x300.jpg\")
<\/a>And if that\u2019s what it takes for me to memorize God\u2019s Word, then yes, I must do it. Psalm 119:11 (NIV) reminds me of King David\u2019s words. \u201cI have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.\u201d <\/i>Hiding Scripture in my heart keeps me on the right path. God\u2019s path.<\/p>\n