Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

This morning I’m offering a small glimpse into our new home. As a whole, the house is still harboring too many boxes, piles of debris, and various packing materials for public viewing. But, my study is well on the way to being ready, and I want to invite you all in to share my excitement at the new space.

• Here’s my confident prediction: this awesome writing retreat is going to yield a new book between now and Christmas….

Rebekah has been beyond wonderful. From day one she’s been adamant about investing extra time for my study; she wanted me to have a point of identity in Wake Forest, and a place to create where I feel comfortable.

IT’S ALL GOOD: Not that we haven’t made astounding progress in every room. After five days of hard work our new house has already made the transition from virtual storage warehouse to livable home. And “home” has been the main focus of what we’ve been trying to achieve since the moment we arrived. While Rebekah has worked on my study I’ve been trying to create a sanctuary where she could return after work and feel the refuge, the peace, and the familiarity of our own home.

That’s why I referenced Psalm 127 at the beginning of this post. We can’t begin to achieve any of these goals outside of placing God at the very center of everything we do here. Jesus really is the cornerstone of our home.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-21)

ONE DAY AT A TIME: Of course, it’s still very much “one day at a time” around here. There is plumbing to take care of; we still lack a functioning washer-dryer; there’s nowhere (as yet) to put guests; there are many boxes to be unpacked; there’s the mystery of missing, or partially missing, items; and many, many other details to take care of.

But we are home! And, we have 750 or so new friends to get to know at the Wake Forest Presbyterian Church. Plus there’s an entire small town to introduce ourselves to and to explore.

Then there’s this wonderful writing space that we’ve designed for my study. I feel inspired, motivated, blessed, and ready to tap into new reservoirs of creativity.

In hope, and in the experience of promise – DEREK