We Found a House

It has been a stressful 6 1/2 weeks trying to get settled back here. We were initially going to rent and I made about 30 phone calls a few weeks ago. To find something that would fit our family and be in a decent neighborhood was going to cost around $1000 or more. That is flat out impossible on 1 income and Jamie in graduate school. So, we called a bank to see what we could do for a loan. Turns out, one bank had a pretty good deal going on that fit us, so we got pre-qualified and began the house hunt last Saturday with our realtor friend.

We went in about 6 homes on Saturday and I was beginning to feel the frustration set in around house 3. We were looking for a "fixer-upper" to save money not a home that had problems that required contractors and a complete overhaul to even make it livable. I was beginning to think that finding a home might take a while longer.

When we walked in house #5, it was different. It was probably the first house all day that was nicely landscaped and clutter free on the outside. The owner wanted to be there for the viewing, but that proved to be an asset as he gave us all the updates and repairs that had been completed in the last 5 years (as long as they have owned the home). It had been well cared for and maintained inside and out. It has a fenced in yard, which is icing on the cake with children and a nice little sitting area out front and back. The neighborhood got a thumbs up and it was sort of at the end of things, so traffic shouldn't be bad.

The owner is an older gentleman and he is caring for his elderly mother. So, the inside needs updating quite a bit. Every wall will have to be painted and we are wanting to lay some new flooring just to make the house more updated and "us". It was all cosmetic changes though. Nothing we can't handle ourselves, I don't think. We have things that we'd like to do "eventually" as money is available, but nothing we can't live with for now.

So, we placed a low ball bid on Monday. I waited around by the phone all day yesterday waiting to hear the counter bid. About 3:30 yesterday our realtor called and gave us the counter bid. She also told me that they were initially wanting a 60 day possession, but she got them to 45. I called Jamie to tell him the news. We decided just to take it and not do any more ping-ponging back and forth with numbers and stipulations (mostly for peace of mind). We got the 45 day closing and a price that we are happy with though.

So, we are praying that inspections, appraisals, and all that good stuff comes out great and we will be fixing up our own home in Mid-August. The kids are very excited about painting the walls in their room and having a fenced in yard. Abbi even spied a swingset in one of the pictures in a neighbor's yard, so she is excited about children being around.

I feel that it was just a "God thing". Our payment will be MUCH cheaper than rent would have been. He listed the house the same day Jamie approached me and said, "we need to move on". Coincidence or God? I'll go with God! I looked down at the paper our realtor handed us with all the information on, saw that date staring back at me as the "listing date" and it almost gave me cold chills. What are the odds?

The House Hunt

We arrived back from vacation yesterday safe and sound. It was beautiful, we are tired, ate too much, and laughed until our stomachs hurt, which is all the qualities of a great vacation. I will make another post with pictures later.

Jamie and I will be going in a few hours to begin the house hunt. I'm very excited, but freaking out at the same time. We have 4 houses chosen right now. I slept really well last night, but I think every time I dreamed I was looking at houses. Every time I rolled over, I whispered a little prayer for God to direct our paths in this huge decision. We naturally have logical concerns, but in the end, if God is directing our path, then we can't go wrong. He will take care of it. None of the rest matters. We can be happy and content anywhere.

So, we'll see what the afternoon brings. I'm hoping that our realtor friend can give us some much needed hand holding through this process. I'm praying that God places "the one" right in front of us with no question. I'm selfishly praying for a 30 day closing, but I'll be honest, 3 out of the 4 are occupied, so that may not be possible. We'll see.

On another note, we got pre-qualified for a mortgage a couple of weeks ago through our bank. They take your income, credit score, current debt, etc and come up with this amount that you could qualify for on a mortgage. Jamie texted me this dollar amount and I know my mouth gaped open and I'm texting him back saying, "are you sure?". Yes, he was sure, the lady emailed it to me in black and white. All I can say is no wonder people go in foreclosure! The amount was almost double the price of homes we were looking for. Double! Just because you can "afford" something doesn't mean it is a smart move to make. When we get settled, we will continue on our path to be debt free.

I can hardly wait to paint walls, landscape, and have a house that we can make our very own!

Waiting Patiently

<sup>Psalm 37:

*****
7</sup> Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

⁸ Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
⁹ For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

*****

¹⁶ It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
¹⁷ For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.

³⁰ The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
³¹ They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.

³² The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
³³ But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

*****

³⁹ The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.

We are waiting on the Lord to reveal our path. Waiting can be trying and difficult. I'm not the most patient person in the world, but I think that most people probably say that. I try to take things day to day and when that doesn't work, I take it hour by hour. We've been back a month now. Jamie is loving his job and I'm very excited about God blessing our move by providing this amazing opportunity. It has been the one good thing out of this whole ordeal.
He is enjoying this new way of ministering and very thankful for being able to "clock out" at the end of day and be done with it: nobody complaining, nobody expecting all of us to be perfect, no phone calls in the middle of dinner (or the middle of the night), nobody expecting his job to be placed above the family, etc. I'm very thankful for this fresh start for him.

But, we are still waiting on a home. Last week, I probably made no less than 30 phone calls looking for a rental home for us to live in. I had closed door after closed door and was growing increasingly frustrated. There were tons of 2 bedroom places, which obviously doesn't work for us. There were some 3 bedroom houses in Lone Oak, but the prices were way out of our range. I live on a budget, but was not comfortable with being strapped so tight (choked is more like it).

So, with a lot of prayer and crying out to God (quite literally), we decided to throw caution to the wind and call a bank and see what we could work out with a mortgage. Turns out, it is going to be much much cheaper to just buy right now. It makes no sense to rent and throw it away when we could buy and throw the rest in savings for the "what if's" in life. We've always had it in our future plans to buy, but I never thought it would be happening so quickly. It is exciting yet scary at the same time. It is a huge decision to make, but I know that God won't let us down.

Again, with the patience though, because this process may not be the fastest or simplest thing we've ever done. But, it is also exciting to think that we might be buying a house and never have to move again! I'd love to just settle and never have to pack all my things in boxes again.

I told the kids this morning that we were going to buy instead of rent. They understand 'rent' really well since we just came from that and Micah was practically jumping up and down, because we may not ever move again and he can paint his room.

We've had a really hard time the past 2 months. I don't understand it, but I read those verses from Psalm this morning and it brought me great comfort. I have been angry and hurt. It is hard not to be right now. The hurt has been deeper than any hurt we've ever experienced. I smile and put a "game face" on the best I can, but when the doors are closed and all is quiet, I let it out. I'm kind of ready for "life" to leave me alone.

Happy Anniversary!

Today we celebrate 16 years of marriage. Lord only knows we've had our share of bumps in the road of life, but one thing that has remained constant for the past 16 years is our relationship with one another. I think that Satan has tried to pry us apart, but we've remained true to one another. Even through tears, we can usually find some laughter and joy and something to put a smile on our face.

We've never had much to speak of, but we have been blessed beyond measure in many other ways! We have 4 wonderful children that complete our family. 16 years ago, I would have never dreamed that I would have had 4 kids. I had my 'dreams' mapped out in a much different way, which is quite funny now. I didn't want children and my main goal in life was to complete my college degree and teach. So it just goes to show you that God can change your heart's desires to meet his purpose for your life. Sometimes he changes your desires completely and sometimes he just does a bit of tweaking.

But, I know that God placed Jamie and I together. I never would have thought that young "love" at 13 years of age, would eventually turn into my present life. Jamie is a God-given husband and a wonderful daddy in this family. He is so much more than that though. I can't imagine my life without him. He is the whole package.

We are sitting here in the present time going through another valley that life has thrown us. There are many things right now that are uncertain. But, I know that, no matter what, we have each other and that won't change. If it weren't for our solid marriage and trust, we would have crumbled.

I had a youth that wrote me a letter before we moved. She was one of the special young ladies that attended my girls Bible study on Friday nights. I don't have the letter to quote (I'm sure it is in a box), but she said that she could see that Jamie and I really love each other and that we were a great example for a teenager like her. It warmed my heart to read that in a very special way. To know that other people "see" it is kind of amazing and can only be described as a God thing.

So....Happy Anniversary to the best man I've ever met, the only guy I've ever kissed, and the one that holds my heart this side of heaven!

Upside Down

That is the way we are feeling right about now. I'm very thankful for the blessings that have been given to us the past 2 months, don't get me wrong. We have family that loves us, people that are praying for us, Jamie's new job, and a roof over our heads. But, when we lay down at night we are still in this crazy limbo stage with no end in sight. I'm a person that craves organization, consistency, and normalcy. Right now we have none of the above. Our lives are completely upside down.

I'm still dealing with anger and frustration and questions and tears about how all this happened. I really won't ever understand it all, but time will have a way of healing these wounds. God is going to use this experience to refine us and bring us full circle. Who knows how we can use this life experience to help witness to someone in the future. Time will only tell. As for now, I try to live day to day. It is just really hard to "get over" it too when we are sitting here waiting for answers while everybody else goes on with their lives.

God has something up his sleeve. That I'm sure of. I'm impatient when I'm waiting, especially when life seems to be spinning out of control. I had somebody tell me that God is testing us. Testing us for what? I'm positive that I'm failing miserably, because on the inside I've been in a kicking/screaming tantrum for 2 months. I'm not angry with God. Not in the least, because he didn't author the things we've been through. He is taking care of us and will take care of us and he will take care of the rest as he sees fit. It doesn't always make it easy to get through the process though.