The whole book craze drove me crazy. I am naturally critical so I never believed the truth of the stories. I can't help it. They are either cheesy or unbelievable. But don't worry, this is not a post about a story that I know to be true or how my mind was changed. I am just stating this because of the title I picked.

I picked this title because I made chicken rice soup from scratch today and I am very proud of myself. I used what I had on hand and some fabulous spices and it turned out pretty good.

I actually used the giblets to make a kind of soup for Calvary. Cooked them in some water, chopped them up and put a little of it in her food. She loved it!

My soul was not affected by this chicken soup but my stomach sure was!!!

If you do not believe this story then you are a skeptic like me.

You are at a crossroads, your thoughts are scrambled, jumbled. How do you decide? There are clear reasons not to make this decision hastily or emotionally but you cannot disconnect from the choices. What do you do? You see the pros and cons of each branch in the road but neither obviously outweighs the other. So you pray.

You are still at a crossroads, your thoughts are more peaceful, trusting God will show you, but there are still no clear options. Each option is equally weighed on the balance of pros and cons. Those around you have opinions and guidance but nothing outweighing the other. So you keep praying.

You are still at a crossroads, your thoughts are much more anxious. Will God ever make this path clear? Will He show you what He wants? How am I ever going to make this choice? I have to move forward sometime! So you keep praying.

Sometimes I wonder if God places us at the crossroads without clear direction just so we will seek Him. There we learn to be on our faces before Him. There we learn to listen and be still and hear His voice. There we learn to be patient and wait. There we learn that it truly is best not to make a move until His guidance is clear. There we learn to depend on God.

I am at a crossroads.

Time is not necessarily my friend. When I don't have enough it is stressful and life is full of frustrations stealing more of it from me. When I have extra then things like this happen, I start writing. Who in their right mind would allow me to share the nonsense in my head with the rest of the world? Who in their right mind would read this nonsense? (My apologies to anyone who might be reading this right now).

Regardless I have decided to start blogging again. Giving the writer in me a chance to giggle as I tickle its fancy and the fanciful in me a chance to stretch and yawn and say, "its about time!"

So, perhaps, its not that I have extra time, or not enough time, but just the right amount. Perhaps, this will turn out to be the beginning of an amazing journey.

Or it will just be another blog of nonsense.

Many of you are wondering (at least my facebookfriends) why in the world I am switching lenders. Here's the story:

In 1996...can you believe I am starting my story with those two words? But actually something did happen in 1996 that messed up my loan today, 14 years later. Back to the story:

In 1996, when I was only 16, my parents had a credit card that was in their account but under my name for convenience sake when I would run errands for them and such. Someone stole their identity so they did what everyone should do when your identity is stolen, they disputed the charges and fixed it all.

Fast forward to 14 years later, today...

So on my credit report it shows that I had a disputed charge...let me say it again...FOURTEEN YEARS AGO!!!

This flagged underwriting and they went from doing an automatic underwriting to a manual underwriting. Apparently once you do that you can't go back. So for some reason this made them want me to show 3 months of reserves in my bank account. The problem with that is that it can't be a gift, it has to be my own money reserves. So, needless to say I don't have 3 months reserves of my own money and I can't get it anytime soon.

The good news is that this is totally not normal and I already have a new lender lined up.

The bad news is that I may close a week later (at least I will still close!).

The good news is that I get the same rate of interest which was a good rate.

The other good news is that my previous lender is very cool and told me not to give up pursuing this and said, "you are very lendable." Apparently my credit is very good and other than this still hiccup I should be good to go. Praise the Lord!

So keep praying!

This first list are the things that bless me because it allows me to afford this house which was at the top of my price range. It is what makes this whole thing worth it or even cheaper than I thought!

Top 10 House Blessings (in no particular order):
1. Neighborhood out of my price range
2. House out of my price range (everything is redone and updated)
3. Low interest rate
4. Low home owners insurance as well as car insurance
5. Cheaper taxes equaling more money monthly
6. Internet costs of moving is $0 plus I get a rebate!!!
7. Parents who will let me live with them to save 1/2 month's rent
8. All appliances are included or donated
9. The house is move in ready
10. Money from the government for buying a house

This second list are the icing on the cake so to speak (dairy free icing of course):

10 Little Bonus Blessings:
1. Laminate flooring
2. Granite bathroom countertop
3. Slate kitchen/dining/entry tile
4. Real tile in the bathroom
5. Remodeled bathroom
6. Dining table and chairs I can borrow until I buy my own set
7. Extra rooms!!!
8. 5 Closets!!!
9. Christian Lender and Realtor
10. Packing and Escrow is on schedule with the potential of ending early (that was 2 blessings packaged to look like 1!!!)

I cannot even begin to explain how much my parents, my brother and sister, my grandparents, my pastor, my mentors, and my friends, have helped and supported me through this. I could write all day about each of you. I love you guys!

So, my last post was about how blessed I was to have my brother's advice and this post is focusing on my parents. I can't even imagine going through this process on my own. It would have been very scary and I would not have had a clue how to go about everything.

From day 1 when my mom went with me to look at houses it has been a fabulous time of learning and adventure. In fact, I would never have even begun looking if it weren't for my mom. She found out about a few programs that made me realize I could buy a house! Then my dad couldn't make it with use the first day we went to look but my mom went. There was a house I was interested in so my dad came and looked at that one house and helped me see all the little things that I would never have noticed.

As I looked and looked they were my reality check and my surge of hope. If I got too idealistic they helped me come down to earth. But if I was too discouraged they would help me gain hope to find what I wanted.

Putting an offer in would have been horrible without them. Especially going into the bidding war situation. Thankfully I am blessed with parents that are very wise and give me the best advice!!! Lastly going through escrow and all the things that happen there plus some of the programs that I possibly doing, I could not have done this without them.

I love my parents!!!

I need to document my amazing story of the house hunt and how the Lord has blessed me in SO many ways.

I began looking at houses the first weekend in January. My Realtor, Patty, is a Christian and was recommended by a retired Realtor friend of mine from church. Patty recommended my lender who is also a Christian. My lender and my mom both had a lot of info on a lot of programs that I could qualify for that would help me get a house. Then, to top it off, a friend of mine also worked for a place where I could get 100% financing if need be. All this was what led to me actually looking and getting excited.

Our first weekend we found a house that I loved and was ready to put an offer on. However, I had not yet spoke with my lender and it was a Saturday. So I waited until Monday, trusting that God would keep the door open if He chose. Well He did not. The door closed. Another offer was accepted prior to me being able to even get my offer in.

After that houses seemed to stop moving for a while. Anything new was in the neighborhoods that I didn't want and the stuff that was there I was not interested in. I have nothing against manufactured housing but a lot of the manufactureds here are either in shady neighborhoods or are very typical Manufactureds. I was not ready to settle for the typical when I could do that any time. I just kind of felt like settling so soon was...well...settling.

I was heading out on vacation on January 14th. Just before I did I went and saw a bunch more houses and there were 2 that stood out. The Applegate house and the Garson house. Neither were on the side of town that I wanted. The Applegate house needed some work and for a lower offer than what they were asking might have been a contender. The Garson house was a manufactured but in a NICE neighborhood and had the feel of a real house inside with real walls, granite countertops, gorgeous tiling etc. But I wasn't impressed enough with either to put an offer in before I left.

Once on my trip I was in agony wondering if I should have placed an offer and if I should go back and rethink one of those two. I struggled a lot with this.

This is where my brother came in. He recently bought a house with his wife and they went through an agonizing LONG time looking and bidding and waiting and looking and bidding and waiting. So I started asking him for advice. Specifically I was wondering how I knew what was God's will in moving forward vs. what is settling. How did I know if my ideals were too high vs. waiting for God's best?

I will explain his answers in a minute but the rest of the timeline is that I came back on the 24th, Sunday. On Tuesday night my Realtor had emailed me the listing to the house I am now in escrow on. Wednesday we went and saw it and put an offer in. On Monday, February 1st, we heard that I got it.

My brother specifically said several things and, for the sake of time and your attention span I will list each thing and how God proved it true in my case.

1. He said when him and his wife walked into their house they knew right away it was theirs. He said that I cannot try to search for this feeling and it may not happen that way for me but God will still make it clear for me.

On that Tuesday when I received the email, I looked at the pictures and I specifically remember pushing my chair back and praying out loud, "Oh Lord...this is my house!" It wasn't me telling God, it was just acknowledging what I just knew.

2. He said that the process will keep you safe. You put and offer in, you are rejected, you know its not God's will.

On Wednesday when we were deciding what price to put in my dad was helping me and we decided my best move was to make a full priced offer. Not knowing that there were other offers in. We did and then later found out about the other offers. The bank offered for us to raise our offer and I prayed and considered and eventually realized I was protected from a bidding war simply because I could not afford to do any more than I had. This was hugely relieving as if I had not gotten the house I would have known it was God! But I got it and I know that God helped me not to always wonder if I did too much or extended myself too much.

3. He said the things that seem so important to you when you are looking are not a big deal once you have the house (he had a few examples of his own with this).

I wanted at least 1 and 1/2 bath, this is 1 bath and I am not at all concerned. I wanted an open floorplan from the kitchen to the dining and living rooms. The kitchen only opens up into the dining and I still love it!

Basically my conversation with my brother was hugely helpful in giving me a peace that God would guide. I came home with the plan to look at the two houses I had been reconsidering and prior to being able to do that God opened the doors for me to get a house in a neighborhood that is out of my price range (this was the first and only house I have seen within my price range), a house that is updated in every room, and so many other little things that it would take me all night to list them! He has provided on every front. Up to and including the fact that I gave notice to my landlord that I would be out by the 1st of March and I don't close escrow until the 12. However, my Pastor and his wife need me to house sit March 2-12. Plus my parents were going to let me stay with them for a couple weeks if I needed it. God is good! I needed boxes to pack and have had enough every day for that day. I.e. I started with 5 from the church, filled 3 and got 9 more from Karen, filled those and have some from my mom and more coming from Karen.

Plus the financial side of things is working out very nicely. I am buying a house on the high side of my budget and God is working it out that I will be able to afford it and my food and gas still. I will need to budget and watch myself but I am blessed that He has provided every step of the way.

Ok, I have to go to bed now. This has been such a blessing and a huge humbling process. Jesus I was completely happy with just You. I am so blessed that You have chosen to give me a house. I only pray that it is used completely to glorify You and that I never lose sight of the fact that I don't deserve it and I only need You.