Tackle It Tuesday #109

Hi Carolyn,
I just wanted to let you know that my prayers for God’s will are with you. I’ve been where you’re at. When we bought this house it had mold and dirt and rats in the attic and appliances needed to be replaced the water heater broke the showers had mold etc. And I was so embarrassed to have anyone come over. Slowly and I mean slowly we saved money and would do a project and then another and so on. Now it’s almost done. I know you rent and can’t invest the money to fix something you don’t own so I do pray for the opportunity to relocate.The house is such a reflection of the woman and when that reflection isn’t what we are trying to portray, it’s hard. Hang in there!
Blessings,
Kim

This is my first time to join Tackle It Tuesday and I know that I will be loving it! First to tackle is my pantry.

I feel like my Tackle it Tuesday is minor compared to yours! But it sounds like you are moving in the right direction….onward! Don’t look back and get out!
Anyway, I have an area in my office that is my crafting/knitting area which is completely unorganized. I have no idea what yarn I have and of course like all knitters, keep on buying yarn and putting it in the area. Most knittters know it is a compulsive disease! And I know my yarn area stock is not as much as other knitting friends! But if I clean it out, at least I knwo what will be in there to knit some projects, after the garden work, building a patio, building a grape arbor and bricking a walkway. There are not enough Tuesday’s for me this summer and fall!
http://lifeislikechampagne.blogspot.com/2008/06/tackle-it-tuesday_24.html

I wish you well on your tackle!! Today I am working on organizing the kids’ clothes and finding a place to put my baby-on-the way’s new things!!

Steph

Can I join your tackle with you? LOL This is my first home-owning experience (DaHubby’s second) and, while I’m incredibly grateful for everything that fell into place (all by God’s hands - but that’s another story), this house definitely gets me down too.

Holes in kitchen soffet, cracked “breezy” single pane windows, a new roof leak, a damp basement, haphazard old construction, and a kitchen whose floor and wall color I CAN’T STAND. *sigh*

It seems so overwhelming especially since we’re 9 months into a major debt reduction project (ala Dave Ramsey) and, despite having paid off more than $16,000 in debt so far, there’s not a lot of spare cash laying around and we’ve cut up all our credit cards! LOL

Yet, praise God for woman like you who would rather be in God’s will! That’s a wonderful testimony to your faith and belief in sacrifice to all of us. Hang in there!

Thank you for your honesty. Despite believing that God led us to our current home I sometimes feel so frustrated and low about it. The previous owners did a lot of DIY but weren’t very good at it - we’re discovering this as we go along! I’m feeling much better about it now but I don’t have to put up with what you have to. I’ll be praying for you.

I agree with Phoebe, thank you for your honesty. Many people would not show those types of pictures to thousands of people on the internet. I can see why you have struggled. I will pray that God provides you the perfect house, and soon.
Toni

I understand exactly what you mean about being someplace you don’t wanna be instead of getting out of God’s will! I’m there!

ps. What do you do about the mold on the windows? I have that same problem.

I’m right there with ya, except we own this - uh - place. ;o)

If you’re renting, isn’t there something the landlord should do about the holes, the mold, etc? Sounds like that mold (being a recurring problem) has a much larger source problem than might originall appear!

Oh, and I just saw this comment, re: mold on the windows. Answer: replace ‘em. Stinks, I know…but new windows are more energy efficient and condensation won’t form on the inside. Its usually that condensation (not rain getting in) that leads to mold. Yeah, we had to learn that lesson, too.

I so understand your frustrations…but it is a great testimony when one uses this to give Glory to GOD!

Amen

Great job to get stuck into. I can’t wait to see the after photos.

It’s a rental, which means that few of the things you listed should be your responsibility! I think you should either schedule a meeting with the landlord where you have a list of things that are wrong, and you show him each one and ask him what he’s going to do about it and when, or you should just move! Some of the things you listed, like mold and wasps, are a safety issue!

The washer is backing up into the tub because your landlord needs to have your sewer lines “roto rooted.” I had the same problem. Roto rooting fixed it, and it has stayed fixed for over a year. If your landlord refuses to have it done, there are chemical products you can use (check the hardware store) that you put in at night and they sit in the pipes and eat away all the crud, but they’re NASTY and terrible for the environment, children, pets, etc. Be careful.

Why would God want you to live in a place that makes you miserable? Maybe feeling miserable is the sign you’ve been waiting for that God wants you to move!

Realtors know where all the good rental houses are in town. Call one, have her put her ear to the ground, and wait for the perfect house to come along. Also, some are listed on realtor.com. Or check with the bank and see if there’s any way you can afford to stop renting and buy! After 7 years, you’d be nearly 1/3 of the way to paying off a 30 year mortgage.

Take care,
Amy @ http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

I hope the Lord opens the door to a new home for you. We tackled a camp homecoming this week.

Thanks for you honesty, Carolyn. I, too, have lived in places that were - difficult. I know just how you feel when God seems to have you where you don’t necessarily want to be. You are right to trust in Him though.

You have been prayed for! Many blessings to you and yours-
Amanda

I hope you find the perfect place to suit you.

My tackle is a simple one this week.

Praying for you and the move.

Your post was very emotional for me. Just looking at the pictures made me feel uneasy.

I hope you find a place very soon.

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(((HUGS))) Now it’s time to get excited about moving to a place you can really love!!

I’m sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. It’s definitely time for you to find a new place to live. All that mold cannot be healthy for you and your family. Usually, when it keeps coming back, it’s deeper than what you can see. It’s probably into the drywall and even the lumbar the house was built with. Time to go.

Oh girl, I feel your pain!! I am in the exact same position!! We moved to Florida almost three years ago. I loved the first rental but it was too expensive and too far from where we needed to be. I absolutely hate where we are now although it has enabled my husband to get a local job (he was an OTR truck driver for the last ten years). We are praying that we can buy something very soon. But, like you, I want to know it is where God wants us to be. We are looking into foreclosures but hubby and I can’t agree on what we want. He would rather have a modular and acreage (with hopes of one day building) and I would rather just move into a house I love and only need at least 1/3 acre. I have wasted all day looking at homes online!! Good luck to you.

My heart goes out to you, Carolyn. Look into the Landlord/Tenant laws for your state. If you have a good relationship with your landlord, perhaps you can sit down and discuss these issues, and they will fix them. If not, report them - rentals must be safe for the tenants. The mold and sewage back-up are big concerns, as they can be health hazards.
Best of luck! I hope it gets better!

I agree with Ginger; there are laws that protect tenants and require the landlord to hold up some extent of maintenance. Do you have a rental agreement that states these things?
I’m praying for you, Carolyn–that God will give you a sparkling new place to live! {{{hugs}}}

Big Hugs!! I hope you find a nice place soon

My tackle was small this week, but I’m really enjoying it!

I wish you well and that you find your perfect home in the near future. Your landlord really needs to get on the ball!

I applaud you for first checking in with God to see what his plan is. I do know that he wants you and your family to be healthy and I am not sure your house is meeting those needs right now. Good luck house hunting, I hope your patience and obedience to God pays off soon!!

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I am proud of you for doing what is right no matter the “Jones’s”.

You need a hug, sweetie. Psalm 17.. he hath put my feet in a large place”
How lovely is HIS dwelling place. May He give peace and rest until the move.

I will be praying for you as well.

Good for you for looking for His will for your family. It really is so hard when your home is not something you can make reflect you….ours was torn up for a long time, and I felt so bad that no matter how hard I worked on it, I still couldn’t fix the things that need fixing. Keep looking for a way, because I’m sure He has a plan to see you in a good place for your family.

It sounds like maybe you have a clog in your pipes somewhere. Time to have your landlord call roto-rooter or some other plumbing/cleaning company.