My wife and I bought our home in November, 1982.

We were starting a new marriage with a blended family. Finances were very tight. Special outings involved getting pizza once a month.

Our home was already fifty years old when we bought it. To keep our house in good condition, we’ve had to replace the roof and repair plumbing issues. This seemed a burden, but we did it anyway.

You would not recognize the home today. The original pink siding is now a dark blue vinyl siding with white trim. The metal roof will outlast us. We have remodeled every room. Our furnace is new, and we have central air for the first time.

The home we live in is just a materialistic essential item we must have while on this earth.

However, our lives are as meaningful as our home. Each of us must make important decisions on a personal level. Our spiritual well being is essential to maintaining a relationship with God.

Our spiritual focus must first be on ourselves, then on the world around us. When we put God first, our lives change, and our priorities change with it. Though we maintain our earthly home so we can live in it, our eternal focus is on building up the Kingdom of God.