I’ve been working on two different projects over the last few weeks. My DIY patio is to this point… see picture below.

And my front porch is only a little further along than this last picture.

I had rain delays and poor customer service to deal with when trying to get crushed run for the patio. I asked for enough crushed run to cover 2,100 square feet and make a layer 2-3 inches deep. I only received what is in the picture above. Not near enough to finish this job. Needless to say, I’m going to look for another source to finish it out.

I still need to strip the carpet glue off the front porch so I can paint it. There is not much that will touch that glue. We tried renting a bigger electric scraper than the one in the picture. It was broken and you had to hold the button down the whole time you tried to operate it. Plus it just barely scraped the surface. Luckily we immediately took it back and Lowe’s refunded that money.

I tried more adhesive remover and then pressure washed it. I only succeeded in blowing glue all over the house and sidewalk, then had to pressure wash all that off. And more glue remained behind on the porch.

I’ve tried Dawn power wash. I’ve tried vinegar and baking soda. I’ve tried coca cola.

One thing that has been slow and tedious, but seemed to help a little, was when I poured boiling water on the glue and then used a paint scraper to get it off. My only problem from that solution was— as soon as the water cooled the glue hardened again.

We’ve asked several professionals for help. No one will touch it. Anyone who has dealt with carpet glue knows to run like the wind at the mention of those words.

I’m down to my last resort. I ordered a heat gun from Amazon. I plan to try it out this week.

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This morning I was looking for a certain book on my bookshelves. I found it and flipped through a few pages. I noticed a bookmark in it. I was elated because I didn’t have to go looking for a bookmark to keep my place as I started to read.

Then I read the bookmark.

I think God sends us encouragement in many forms:

• Maybe something works out to be easier than you thought it would be.

• Maybe you find a solution to a problem that you have been dealing with a long time.

• Maybe you suffer with an attack of Asthma from something in the air and after nebulizing, using two inhalers, drinking breathing tea, using rub on oils, and diffusing oils, you are still having trouble breathing. And then your grandchildren pray for you, and your lungs start clearing, and you are suddenly able to breath normally again.

• Maybe you are exhausted from working too much and you finally get a Sabbath to rest.

• And maybe you find an old bookmark that says this:

Don’t Quit

Don’t quit when the tide is lowest,

For it’s just about to turn;

Don’t quit over doubts and questions,

For there’s something you may learn.

Don’t quit when the night is darkest,

For it’s just a while ’til dawn;

Don’t quit when you’ve run the farthest,

For the race is almost won.

Don’t quit when the hill is steepest,

For your goal is almost nigh;

Don’t quit, for you’re not a failure

Until you fail to try. — Jill Wolf