     We and our two sons and their families all have had the privilege of living in homes constructed in the 1920s. Designated a National Historic District in 1995, Powell River's Townsite is one of only seven such districts in Canada and the only one in western Canada. Four hundred such homes, still in remarkably good condition, were part of the Powell River Company's 1910 town plan and were constructed by them. The mill, now owned by Catalyst Paper, is still in operation.
         Townsite homes were erected a long time before present-day building codes were in place and some updates were inevitable. For each of the Wegner households, that meant replacing knob and tube wiring in order to get insurance. What most impressed my carpenter husband and sons, however, was the strength and stability of these houses. After decades they continue to withstand all that nature has thrown at them and people continue to purchase and restore them.
         Over the past few weeks I've been doing a lot of thinking about the vital importance of a solid foundation, both in houses and in our lives. The Psalmist David, in speaking of those times when we are bombarded with trials declared, "if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalms 11:3)
         Paul, in writing to Christians in Corinth, pointed out that "no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).
         We all face tough times, we all face temptation and we all experience things that threaten to knock us off our feet. We all fail at times. Jesus pointed out the difference between victory and defeat when he cited the example of a house built on sand. It collapsed during the storm while the one built on a rock was unmoved.
         Be sure your foundation's secure!
