Wow!  What a weekend!  And God just used every single moment of it to teach us, to guide us, to walk with us and love us.  We came to pick a home in a place we knew nothing about with a man we had never met.  Tomorrow I will leave with a house I never dreamed of in a place I love and fully breathe in and two new friends (our realtor and his wife).  A lot can happen in two days!

Friday a home we really liked was bought from under us.  But God had given me forewarning that this was not our home.  Tears of disappointment, but thankfulness for God’s clear answer.  When I told Janay, I loved her answer…”It’s just a house, mom, until you make it a home. So you just lost a house, not a home.”  That really encouraged me.

We prayed Friday night for a fresh start on Saturday  of viewing houses. And that really changed our perspective and expectations.  We went into the day open to the fact that we might not find a house this weekend, and if we do, we will know the right one and whatever it is, we can make it a home.  Our home would be a place that would welcome others with love and laughter and would be used for God’s glory.  And suddenly, an even deeper peace and knowledge of God’s loving direction and just knowing He had something saved for us.

Yesterday we woke up, prayed again, and met our awesome realtor, Brian, who had told us, confidently, that we would find a house by the end of the day. (He had told me this before we even got here…)  We had come to trust and share his confidence because of his incredible knowledge and expertise.

We headed to the first home – a new ranch style home with a full mostly finished basement.  It didn’t look like a ranch (probably why I missed it in the MLS listings).  It has stone accent completely around  – front, back and sides.  It welcomed us with a cute front porch. I walked in to wood floors galore (YUMMY!), a gorgeous kitchen (more than I ever imagined!) facing out over a family room with a big fireplace and looking straight out the big picture windows of that room.  It has a sunny and really cute eating nook, a brick covered back patio, an open space behind that will never be built on, three bedrooms and an office – each with it’s own bathroom.  The basement has a media room with a 3/4 bath and bedroom (Blake’s man cave) finished, and room to add another living area, bedroom and bathroom in the unfinished area.  I only give such descriptions because I want to share it with you and to show the craziness of God’s over-the-top love and provision.

We should hear by five today if they accepted our offer.  I am humbled beyond words by God’s grace and goodness and I am battling feeling the reality of my unworthiness.  It is hard, sometimes, to accept such a great gift, especially when it has been so constant in the past months.  But I will live in utter thankfulness that He has confirmed again and again that this new job and this new place and these new people are exactly where He wants us.  And so I smile and laugh and cry.

Jesus loves me…this I know.