This is our new home! And oh, what a journey it has been to get here. "Here" is knowing that this really isn't OUR home; it is the house God has entrusted to us, and we have seen His goodness so tangibly in the way He has provided for us. I know the blog has been a little quiet lately, but that's because we've been working through some opposition to God's plans. Two weeks before our original closing date, we found out that Vince's overtime counted as "salary," and that there was an income limit on the loan type we were getting, so all of a sudden our choice was to change loan types, which meant coming up with almost $4000 for a down payment, or walking away. We did not have $4000, so we prayed for God to provide and waited hopefully, but started making strategic plans for adding a baby to our current apartment situation. One week after the news, my aunt found out about our situaton and wished she could help. The next day she found out her tax return had gone in early, and she had enough for her needs plus enough to help us, so she loaned us a down payment. We never would have dreamed of God providing the way He did....dropping that much money in our laps seemed improbable at best, but I knew He could if He wanted to. And He did....which blessed us in so many obvious ways, but also it just confirmed to us that this house really is a part of His plan for us. We probably could have eeked it out somehow on our own, but in the back of my mind I wondered if we'd be trying too hard to force something God was trying to say "no" to. So the outside provision was a resounding "Yes" and "Amen", and we are taking that blessing with open arms! We already have plans to host youth over the summer, and our prayer is that our house (and we) will always be open to anyone in need. Because it's not really ours, you see. We're taking care of it for God and we want to use it the way He wants us to.
So yesterday we closed, today we got the right keys (that's another story for another time....), and this Saturday we move in. Oh yeah, and I'm scheduled to induce labor on the 31st, unless Zoe decides she wants to come sooner. I think the nursery will be ready for her...I know we all are!
