Lots of awesome memories in this house

neighbors and friends

family

some of the “big friends”(what Hannah called the youth group teenagers).  I made lots of bean dip and cookies in this house.

This house and its visitors were such a HUGE blessing.   A cherished season

Our CA is for sale.  I can sometimes fret about it selling.  I feel like God was prompting my heart to go back and remember how God brought this house to us and to remember His faithfulness and this miracle.

Due to many reasons, we decided it was best for teenage siblings(tim-16yrs and kandy-14yrs at the time) to move from Michigan and live with us.  At the time it was only Jeremy and I and Hannah(1 yr old).

We were working on how to convert our garage into 2 bedrooms because all we had was a small 2 bedroom house.  Just a few days before deciding to take my siblings in I started a Beth Moore Bible study called Believing God: experience a fresh explosion of faith(I decided to start this today- 10 years later)- not just believing in God but believing God to work mightily in our lives.

Part of her introduction grabbed me, saying, “First I want to ask you to thoroughly commit to this journey of faith.  I am asking God to do something dramatic in your life and not just down the road.  I am believing God to perform a tremendous work in each life as a waving first fruit of a harvest to come. In fact, allow me to get a little gustier with what I’m asking my very able God.  I am literally praying that God will perform a miracle of His choosing in every life during our journey.  I am praying for this nine weeks to be a micro cosmic experience of a lifetime practice of faith.”  So I was eagerly awaiting to see what big, exciting things God was going to do.

Once deciding they should move in with us,  I wrote in my prayer journal(Oct 12th, 2004)- “We need a bigger home”

Oct 15th I wrote in my prayer journal, “Increase mine and Jeremy’s faith and help us overcome our unbelief.”

I told my brother Scott(a loan officer) that we would like a 4 bedroom house to buy but still pay about the same $ as our tiny 2 bedroom.  He said, “Can’t help you there.  Not anything like that.”

Some of our best friends(Jon & Jen) were buying a house and they told us we should look at the house next door(identical-by the same builder).  We looked after church.  It was perfect!!  While walking to the car- I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.  Jeremy said, “Uh oh, I know that face.”  I said, “It’s one of those things that are too good to be true.  I told Jeremy Ephesians 3:20 came to mind, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”  I thought He could totally do more than we could ever dream.

We went home continuing to talk about it.  I am totally sold.  Jeremy was undecided.  He had evening service to go to at church.  I prayed that God would make it very clear to him and that he would be at peace.  I also prayed that  we would not be able to shut up about this miracle and that God would get all the glory.

After church, Jeremy talked with a trusted, wise man in our church.  He was excited about it and suggested we call Mary(a realtor in our church) and see what our house may sell for.  We were floored when she said our house could easily sell for double the price we paid for it 3 years ago.  This new 4 bedroom house was only $9,000 more than our 2 bedroom house.

We had about a 7 hour period to decide because the next day (Monday) the new house would be listed and be on the market for all the realtors to look at.  Jeremy does not like to make quick decisions but God gave  him peace so we decided to go for it.  We signed papers to sell our house and buy the next one after only 7hours of looking at the house and only 7 days after I put it in my prayer journal.  Jeremy was totally dumbfounded- couldn’t understand or explain it- has to be from God.

Often God works like that because otherwise He knows we try to find ways to explain it away and not notice it as a miracle/gift from God.

A funny thing:  3 weeks earlier while driving by the new golf course houses, in my heart I had resolved it was ok if we never are able to buy a new house(with the exciting things like crown molding and new carpet) because Jeremy was a pastor and his ministry salary would not likely be enough for so.  And then God decided to plop this sweet house in our lap.