Answered Prayer

Its been about 2 moths since I've blogged and given the fact that I haven't advertised my blog yet, the only audience is me! So, I'm the only one to give myself backlash for slacking.

Lots of things have transpired over the last few months...
- As we continued to lower the asking price of our home the activity of interested prospective buyers started to pick up. We got our first offer in March, but after serious consideration and asking God for wisdom we unfortunately had to turn it down.

God was faithful and continued to bring lookers to the house. In early May we received 2 more offers in one weekend, one of them being our best offer yet and we accepted and entered under contract.

- We're now scheduled to close July 1st so we've been doing the things necessary to close on the house. This process has been so *new* to us. We've experienced a lot of processes after going through the construction of a home, but never anything like this. Our agent has been absoloutely fantastic (more on her later)

- To date, we've had the water inspected, our septic system pumped & inspected, the home inspected, and have  filled out all sorts of paperwork to prepare for closing.

- As we near closing, we've started packing up the house and prepping to store things away.

- After exhuasting the short-term rental options in our area which are so pitiful, we decided to take our in-laws up on their gracious offer of letting us stay again with them (they so lovingly took us in for a 2 1/2 years while we constructed our home back in 2002-2004)

- I informed my boss that I was expecting and told him that if all goes well I'd like to transition home from work at the end of August to start homeschooling my kids in September.

- The kids said their good byes to their school, their friends, their teachers, etc. That was a tearful day. My oldest's class had been praying for the sale of our home since September (she made our real estate ad her notebook cover; a realtor in training?), so to witness the culmination of their answered prayer on the last day of school filled me up so. They presented my daughter with a class picture and then prayed over us for our new adventure. Her teacher and I held each other and cried.

- I've continued to narrow down the kids homeschooling curriculum and outline their schedule. I've met with a few parents considering homeschooling (mind you I haven't homeschooled a day in my life) and have passed onto them what I've learned so far. I've also met with a mom that I share a like-mindedness regarding my philosophy on education and all (more on that later too..) and she's helped me further narrow down what types of material I'd like to use our first year.

- We've narrowed down which modular home plan we're considering for the next home which we're going to build on our property and are praying that God would provide us a reputable builder to construct the home. The modular process is a much quicker process than stick building on site. They build the home in doors in an offsite location and then transport it in "modules" to your property and put it together. We've visited the factory where they are constructed and then several models so that hubby could see the quality of the their work. My prayer has been to inform him as much as possible so that he can make an informed decision.

- and.....................we're continuing to GROW! Baby Jordan No. 3 has NO IDEA what their family is doing here on the outside world. LOL. The baby is working on growing day after day, so the baby is busy as well (wouldn't it be neat if a baby could blog from the placenta..)

This is my belly and not my bottom as my 6 yr old suggested.

whew! I think that catches our crazy life up so far.

I felt compelled to share all this because the questions are starting to come and the interesting looks are starting to turn up on faces of co-workers, friends, family, etc. as I share our plans & how they are unfolding.

Some I'm sure think we're absoloutely off our rocker to sell a home that we spent a 1 1/2 yrs. building just so that I can stay home and teach my kids who were in a perfectly safe and wonderful school! Its a little absurd when you think about it. Good job, beautiful home, comfortable life, why mess up a good thing?

The only way I can explain it in one word is, God.

He'll make you do some crazy things. Kinda like love you know? When you fall in love you'll do some really silly things to make your confidant happy. Well, my God did something really crazy too. His Father sent his ONLY Son to die on a cross to redeem a people that had no desire to love him. This Son was scourged, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross and He was INNOCENT of the crime that He was accused of. We find ourselves asking why? He too did it because of His love for God the Father.

While I'm sure I'll continue to get the strange looks and questionable responses from folks of why we're doing what we do, my prayer is that our life will speak a testimony of love, sacrifice, submission, obedience, hope... I know that this journey will not be easy, but God is with us.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)