Blessed with a House to make a HOME!

Abundant Blessings

They accepted our offer today! I am beyond words with this blessing - it is something we never dreamed of, though it was deep in our hearts. He is after our hearts!

We are coming sweet Grant, just ironing out a few details!

I Think We Have A Home!

Last week was crazy. We know we are closing on our house at the end of the month, so we began packing and looking for a house. We decided the closing date because of all of the paperwork we need to resubmit about our new home for Grant's home study. We do not want to waste one minute of time away from Grant if WE can help it. Anyway, we looked at a few houses to rent - one was on a lake without a fence - NO, another one we took too long to respond back-we lost it, another was twice as much as our mortgage now! We became a bit unsettled about where we were going to live, all the time praying that we could have a comfortable home for our family. Honestly, I was very discouraged and had a lot of tears.

One afternoon, Skip drove around neighborhoods and called several Realtors that had vacant houses for rent. The thought of not finding a house to rent NEVER entered our minds. There are so many houses that have been on the market for a long. Anyway, Skip called about a house and the realtor referred him to the bank owning the house. When Skip asked the banker about renting, the banker asked Skip why he wouldn't just buy it. Skip said because I feel like we should rent and renting is safe with this economy. The banker told him to think about buying the house and Skip asked the banker to please think about renting it. Skip came home that night and told me all about this great house, on a cul-de-sac, great neighborhood, lots of space, on a little bit of land and about his conversation with this banker. He said it was a great price and something we could afford and he wanted to pray about buying it. In my mind that was not the plan - In the midst of where I thought God was sending us, was He now asking us to switch gears?

My verse: Trust the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowldege Him and He will make your paths straight.

The next day we went to see this house. This house would be perfect for our family. It needs some cosmetic work and cleaning up, but I think this floor plan is even better for us than the house we are leaving.

We have put an offer on the house and every day while we wait, we drive out to see it. The bank is having a board meeting on Tuesday and they will let us know then if they officially accept the offer.

I would so much rather buy a house rather than rent. Transistion is such a difficult place for me to rest and although God is teaching me so much about what a true home is, I desire a place of our own. God does know the desires of our hearts and I am so grateful that as time goes by, I am more and more comfortable trusting Him with mine. He is faithful and good - always.

It Sold!

A few months back I mentioned that we felt led that God was leading us to sell our house. I think deep down inside I did not feel like it would sell, I thought it would be one of those places in our lives where He wanted to see if we were willing. Could we surrender all? My mind was on board - it is only a house. Last week in church I was talking to a friend who had also been in the process of trying to sell her home. She told me about the big celebration they had when they pulled up their sign because it had been 6 months and they felt like God had told them to stay. Her husband's business was really suffering and at the time they really need to cut all corners. They are doing much better now - praises. After church I told Skip that now we were getting closer to the fall and going to get Grant that perhaps we should reconsider selling, he felt the same way. I even asked him to pull the sign out of the yard, that God could sell this house without a sign if He was going to. And surely He would have done it by now.

I was so excited because I just knew we were staying, we too would have a celebration - and then I got a call on Monday from someone who wanted to see the house and for some reason I just knew this was the call. We did sell the house to a beautiful family on Wednesday night- and now if my heart and my head would just line up and be in agreement, I would be fine.

My head knows that financially this house is a lot for us in this economy and there is a lot of freedom from bondage with less debt. In all of our married life we have never been debt free. It knows that God always takes us from better to even better - even when it doesn't look like it. This is an answer to our prayer that we wanted to live an extraordinary life in Christ - however he chose to use us. And only God could have sold this house in this economy.

But, my heart has felt the laughter and tears cried over in this house, the scriptures we wrote on the 2x4's as we rebuilt and reflected on the might hand of God that saved us, the shelter the walls provided as God healed and strengthened our family and marriage, the contentment we had finally reached and every physical detail . . . my house. It is very difficult. I have really come to better understand why Abraham's father decided to stay in Ur.

We hope to move the middle of July in order to quickly get settled. Our social worker will have to write an updated about our new home and we will then have to file the update with immigration. We are praying every step of the way that this does not delay Grant's homecoming. In all the craziness of looking for a home and packing, I have moments when I rejoice because of the reality that we HAVE A SON!! God has blessed my heart's desire abundantly! I look at Grant's little picture and it doesn't seem real. I cannot wait to have him in my arms. God is always so good! and His ways are so much higher!

One day I want to go back to having the outlook of a child. The children are so excited to be able to live in another house with new neighbors! and all of the new neighborhood pets!!!!

Oh we did find a great house to rent for the next year. It is right next door to a very dear friend and I am so excited to share this season of our lives together! It IS going to be good!