Haven't Sold the House Yet

So here's the latest on this house selling process. We went on the market on April 6. Nothing for the first two weeks, but I was still very excited to know my house was on the internet and there was a sign in our front yard. Going out was like a game because the house had to be "show ready". It also made for a wonderful homecoming as the place had never looked better. While gone to Maine we had the one showing, and then FIVE more showings the following week. On that Friday (May 1), Rappy (our realtor) called saying we had an OFFER!! And he mentioned that there might be another coming. Well, that sent me over the edge and I began telling everyone that we might be having two offers and we were smelling a bidding war!! Woohoo! Anybody with sense knows that the worst thing to do when anticipating something big is to count your chickens before they hatch.

There was no contact with the possible second offer person and the first real offer fell through after we went back and forth with two counter offers. In my heart I truly wasn't upset that it fell through and had actually prayed in the process that if the woman couldn't afford it, she wouldn't take it. Yes, I want a new house but not at the expense of someone's financial ruin.

Ok, that was two weeks ago now and there's been NO ACTIVITY. Here's the part I didn't want to see happen... me losing hope that anyone will ever show up again and get so frustrated every time I tidy the house before going somewhere. My human nature tells me to just forget about it (i.e. making everything look perfect) when I'm running late (usually always) or just feeling that it looks good enough. But then I remember asking the Lord to bless this time of selling our house and to use it for His glory (i.e. people recognizing that this process was all of His power as I am hopeless in keeping a tidy house). I want everytime I leave my garage to know that if the showing agency were to call, I can say, "Yes, I'd love for you to show my house in 30 minutes." One of these days when I do drive out of the garage, I WILL receive that call, and that WILL be the family who buys our house, and we WILL be on our way to buying our new home.

Guess it just boils down to me very much disliking anything which requires a lot of perseverance. I'm a microwave girl, cable internet user, drive-thru window orderer. But just to use another anonymous phrase, whatever does not kill us, makes us stronger. And further more, I want to grow closer to my Lord during this process and more like Him. Today was the last day of our BSF year. We've examined the life of Moses by studying verse by verse the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Moses was just a regular guy and yet because of his intimately, close relationship with God, he wasn't. Moses spoke regularly and audibly with God on a mountaintop, performed miracles before Pharaoh in Egypt, witnessed plagues and the Red Sea opening, led a million people on a 40-year "hike" through the desert, listened to them complain for those same 40 years, and then died peacefully just before the people entered the land God had promised them.

The frustration I might feel after chasing two children, keeping up with laundry and meals for one family, and tidying this house for a month's time is laughable in comparison. Moses is remembered with these words, "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt — to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel" (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).

I pray to be like Moses who became like God by going to Him daily and seeking His power instead of his own.

New Blog Link In My Sidebar: Jackson World

Matthew's cousin Mollie and her husband Michael are expecting their first baby on July 13. It's a little boy who will be called J.B. (full name Joseph Brooks). Mollie and I have become close friends and that friendship is sure to grow as she becomes a mom in just a few months. We're excited for them. Philip is excited to hold J.B.! I'm looking forward to reading their blog and reminiscing about those first few weeks of parenthood. Thankfully, they are mostly a blur by this point. I say that and yet I wish I could remember just how tiny Philip and Braewyn were at that point and how there was no need for discipline at that time! A really sweet time.

Our "Baby" is 2-years-old!

On Saturday, Braewyn turned 2. We had a wonderful day together. The kids began the day with sprinkle doughnuts for breakfast, always a good start! For lunch we headed out to Spring Fling, our local downtown festival, and spent more money than we intended on food. However we had a great time together as a family and saw a cool dog frisbee show (these were world-record holding, frisbee-catching dogs!!). We headed home to let the kids nap and Mommy to bake Braewyn's cake before heading to Ruth Ann's house for the birthday girl's party (we had it there in the hopes of maybe having a house showing that night... no such luck.). Braewyn enjoyed spending the evening with her Mommy, Daddy, "Bubba" (Philip), grandparents, big cousin Michael, little cousin Holden and Aunt Andrea.

Here are the photos to recap the day. I was touched by how Philip really seemed to want to let Braewyn feel special on her birthday and wasn't jealous at all. He's getting quite mature for his age!

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Today was Braewyn's first day in the Bible Study Fellowship children's program. The "policy" states that a child can begin the class day following her 2nd birthday. Philip began the Thursday after his 2nd birthday, but his birthday being January 22, he participated for the last half of the class year (it runs along with the public school calendar). Braewyn attended today and next Thursday, but then we'll all start back on September 17. She could have skipped these two weeks, but I've honestly been waiting ALL year to enroll her in Bible study. I don't ever want to let a chance go by when I can help instill the truths of God's Word in her little heart. Her teacher said she did great and acted liked she'd been coming for months. There was a little mishap as the kids were dancing, Braewyn bumped into Philip, tripped and fell to the ground. Her mouth landed on a toy and she has a puffy, pink lip. Guess I'll wait until next week to get her 2-year-old picture taken! She's a tough little thing; I know she'll be excited to go back to BSF next week.