New Beginnings...with a bang!

The last few months have been one WILD ride...I could probably write a book! Instead of sharing all the crazy right now, here is a quick update on big life events: We started house hunting in March, trying to find a home to move into when our lease is up in June. We had completed the foster care process and only needed a home to complete our home study! Things did not go as planned...part of me wishes I had written down every step of house hunting that fell through just so we could look back and laugh someday! It has been several months of disappointment after disappointment. My sweet Silas and our fabulous realtor worked endlessly trying to pull things together. When we still had no where to move to in June, we were able to go to month to month rent on our apartment, but had to be out by September 6th. In the midst of all this, we were still traveling to Kansas City for appointments for the mass in baby's lung. They began to worry about his heart so we had even more appointments...Praise the Lord, baby's heart looks great! As we continued to get good reports, our doctors agreed that it would be fine for me to deliver in Wichita instead of Kansas City! This is such a huge blessing...I don't have to be without Silas from 38 weeks on and things will be a lot less hectic when little man arrives. As we continued to have houses fall through, it was beginning to look like we would be in our bitty apartment for longer than planned...a lot longer. My heart wrestled with this so much. I desperately wanted to believe that I could be content wherever we are, but this would be the first time in 23 years that I did not have a job, school, etc. I am so excited to stay home with our little guy, but with that, I long to serve foster kids, work some respite jobs, and be in a place where ministry is a focus. In our little one bedroom apartment, that would be tough. To add to the excitement, I began showing signs of preterm labor and spent a couple weeks "taking it easy" in the middle of having to pack and adjust to life at home during the day. FINALLY, a couple weeks before we had to move, things moved forward with a house and we would be able to close September 4. Honestly, it was a house that took a little bit of effort to love, but would meet our needs, was a good financial fit, fit our ministry, and give us some things to work on the next few years. Then the house fell through because of a roof issue. Our realtor worked hard for us and got things up and running again but the close date was moved to September 18 (meaning we would have from September 6-18 without a house and a baby on the way or here)...until last Saturday. A week before we had to move out of our apartment, we heard that the seller was wanting to back out. Our realtor is a Christ follower and spend the day in prayer for us. She wrote a letter to the seller explaining our story, the events of the last few months, and our hopes for ministry. Tuesday morning, our realtor was extremely frustrated because the seller's realtor had not passed on the letter and there was no change of heart. We were told to find another option. Within 30 minutes, we got a call that not only had the seller agreed to sell to us, she was willing to let us move in September 4 and rent FREE of charge until September 18 until we close! We could hardly believe it...what an emotional whirlwind! (Oh...and then a few hours later I wrecked the minivan we had had for 1 day. Talk about roller coaster! Ha!) Part of me thinks, "Ok God...You did it. But wouldn't it have been easier to just give us the first house back in April?" And that's where I have to remember that His ways, His timing, is not our own. I don't see all the unseen that He does. I don't know all that He protected us from or the plans He has for us that we need this particular house for. But I do know that He provided. He changed the heart of the seller...and He's changed our hearts and faith as well. He is worthy of praise...and still would've been if we spend another year in this apartment. Life is so crazy. God is so good. I love adventure. And I am SO. VERY. TIRED. And now...it's moving day!!! Here we go!!!