Changes and New Chapters

I began a new chapter journey in my life without Glenn this month... I moved into a new home, one that I was able to purchase through God's grace. It is something I wouldn't have thought possible 4 years ago.

Let me take you back to the end of the 'last chapter' and start of this one... it began late last year when my elderly neighbor had decided to sell his house. I owned a manufactured home in a park, it was the last home that Glenn and I had bought together, and subsequently our last home before he passed.

Our previous home went into foreclosure when the economy tanked, and it was in that process when Glenn was diagnosed with cancer. It was because of the combination of events that we found the manufactured home in a wonderful park, a place that would give me a safe home to spend the last months of Glenn's life with, then say good-bye to him, and begin to move forward without him.

I was happy there, and thankful to be there since we had no life insurance on Glenn, at least knew I 'owned something,' even if I didn't own the land it was on. I enjoyed the security of living there, I felt safe.

Over the last nearly 4½ years the Lord has been stretching me, and growing me in financial disciplines that were getting me ready to make this change in my life.

This major change began late last year. My elderly neighbor listed and sold his home, not so much because he wanted to, but because his wife had gone into an assisted living home and he couldn't afford his home anymore with the annual park rent increases. This got me thinking about my life, and where I might be in 10-15 years when I was to old to work like I do now. What would I do, if I was priced out of my home?  So I went online, and found out what he had sold for... and I was shocked, we didn't have insurance but the Lord had worked it out so that I had SOLID equity. We had purchased at the bottom of the market and it is now on a upswing.

It was not easy, but I had wonderful realtors (including a very good friend) that were amazing through the process from the fiscal side, and even prayed for me as I worked through the emotional side. When I listed I didn't think about the fact that when I started into the paperwork, there was Glenn's name... that was a moment that caught me off guard. The reality of closing that chapter of my life was suddenly very real, but I still felt it was the right thing. 

It was the end of January when I made the decision, and early February that I listed. Selling a home is always hard, but doing it alone brought challenges that I wasn't prepared for, however with God's grace and strength I made it through getting things ready to list. Then came the waiting process, showing, waiting, showing, hoping, waiting, showing, lol... Time passed and it was April and coming up on my vacation. I was getting exhausted with the showing circle and impact on the household. So I decided that if it wasn't sold by the time of my vacation that I would remove it from the market... and then boom, 3 days before, I got an offer and we came to an agreement. -- little did I realize that would be the easy part.

Finding a home in the budget I was given was the big hurdle, it was a modest budget and one that flippers hunt in... and with the requirements of FHA on top, I had no idea how hard and emotional it would become, but in spite of the ups and downs I was trusting that the Lord would take me to the right home. I put offers in on:

• One that I liked okay, wasn't 'in love' with it, but liked it and it would work well for me.  -- lost it to an offer that I found out $1000 less but conventional financing.... this one frustrated me.
• The next one, again, I liked and it would work, but I had moved into a 'settling for' mode. Again I was beat out by a similar offer that had conventional financing.
• The 3rd one, I liked the situation but didn't really like the house- I was beginning to panic as my buyer had now been put on hold. -- This one fell apart due to a variety of circumstances-- PRAISE GOD! It was so not the right house... God had better things in mind.

 Well, I had finally decided that I was done and was going to try and unwind my sale... that was a Friday night. Saturday I was at an anniversary party and a friend told me that as she had been praying for me, she kept hearing the Lord say for me not to settle. Monday I was at a baby shower and I got a call just before it started, my buyer was willing to wait until I found something (mind you this was August.) Then it happened, the right house! I got home from the shower, I was looking on line and I found a house that I wanted to see, it was the right price and it didn't need work so that meant I wouldn't be competing with flippers. When I stepped up to the door I saw a small plaque something from one of my favorite verses: Joshua 24:15 But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  That was a great start and then the moment I stepped inside I found peace. This house, I really wanted, it was the one!

Then the real fun began, lol, the buying process... talk about stretching!! I don't remember praying for patience but it was an experience in gaining it. The offer negotiations were the easy part, then came the fun; inspection, good! Waiting for FHA appraisal to be done, ugh, waiting for it to come back, ugh. Then another inspection for FHA, waiting for results... finally all in, all good, then more waiting for the paperwork, early, yeah, oh, nope, on time, okay, nope, delay, boo, finally done, just in time, lol. Got out of the old place, got in the new... Thanks to so many friends and family that helped with loading and moving!!

I am now in my new home, no, I am not all unpacked yet, but that's okay, I love it and I am happy... tired, yes, but content. I now have a glimpse forward - I have a home where I own my dirt... may sound silly but it's important to me. I now have something that I can afford in the future, and something that in the future I can leave to my children or if my life changes, it may become an investment. To top it all off my payment is now $75 less than the house and space rent that I had, and the park rent would have gone up each year.

I can say this as I look back, the Lord gave me a scripture that I mentioned in my first blog, just over 5 years ago, and I know it's still true today. Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."

I have said it before, my life is not necessarily perfect but I am so blessed in life. The Lord is my provider and my everything. He is my best friend at all times.

Blessings!