EMMC: The Journey Home Part 1.

As seen on a previous post, this is the front door look at the new house.

God is so good. Amen!? I don't even no where to begin when describing all the answered prayers I have, especially when it comes to this house. But i'll give it a shot, because its a story worth telling.

About three and a half years ago James and I started house hunting, looking for the perfect fit. Our first home had to be a place perfect for hosting and growing. We prayed the Lord would send us the right home. Here are some things we prayed for : A place we could add our own flare to, but had character on its own. Hardwood floors, an open living area, spacious kitchen with white cabinets, an area for my art, enough rooms for guests and children, a large back yard (fenced in), a master bedroom with a private bath and it had to be in a good neighborhood with a good school district. Oh yeah and it had to be under $120,000.

Well as you can imagine we didn't have much luck and as time moved we also didn't have the means. After our first attempt to buy a house we thought was perfect and that falling through, we lost our first baby. We moved in with my dad (with all our stuff packed into two rooms). And James struggled to find work to pay all our bills. Needless to say, our faith was really put to the test. But there are many blessings that come from a storm. A few months later we found out we were pregnant again, and we named our baby Eden Isabelle ( A delightful pledge to God). Because gosh darn it we were going to find delight in all the good regardless. When Eden was around 6 months, we moved out of my Dads and into a rental house.

I still have fond memories of the rental we had in Cayce. However, safe wasn't completely accurate and combined with regularly broken toilet and bad electrical it left some to be desired. I never had to file police reports till we lived there; Although I can't say i'll miss the furniture that was stollen. On the other hand we made good friends and experienced a lot of emotional and spiritual growth. When I became pregnant with Deacon, and eventually was put on bedrest, we moved back to my dads. At that point we all but gave up on becoming home owners. And all our prayers for James to get a better job went unanswered. Our faith was being expanded again.

All the while I daydreamed like many women when I got a PotteryBarn catalog or watched HGTV. I knew the hope of living in my own home was far off, but I couldn't wait to have a place to fellowship and raise my family. James and I trusted that the Lord knew our hearts so we chose to be content in the place he had us by leaning on His guidance and His (what we like to call) character building moments.

About nine months after Deacon was born ( his name means "a servant God remembers"); God opened up the door for James to serve in ministry again. And then a few months after that He blessed us by providing James with a new higher paying position at Blue Cross. Wow!

So to shorten my already long story, I always kept my eyes peeled for new real estate in our area. And one day (about 6 months later) I came across a house that just seemed perfect. So I told James it was time to start our house hunt again. We contacted our wonderful Realtor, Anne Bagnal, and slowly dipped our toes in the water so to speak. While the house that got me looking again turned out to be a bust, the Lord was indeed preparing a place for us. Quite literally.

At the beginning of this year the previous owners of what is now our home had agreed to sell it to someone else. For three months they made repairs ( new roof, new electrical, AC, termite extermination/repair and a few more things). Well the first buyer ended up not getting the loan he was promised and so the house was placed back up for sale just over our limit. Our relator being the smart woman she is suggested the house even though it was out of our price range and a little small. When we walked in I just knew it was right. So after everything was all said and done we paid under $120,000 with an amazing interest rate. And that check list we made 3 years ago, well all those things have been checked off (besides the master bathroom part, maybe one day). And while we don't live with my father anymore, he (and the rest of our family) have transformed this house into a beauty that could be showcased in any of those shows or magazines I spent so much time on.

Jesus is such a good friend. He heard our prayers, was patient when we complained, and lovingly provided even still.

So here are some of the before and after shots. It is really amazing!

Kitchen before.

(can you believe these beautiful floors were underneath that ugly linoleum )

Kitchen now.

Dining room before.

Dinning room After.

Entry way/ Living room during demo.

looking out towards the living room.

After!

I hope this is encouraging to you. Giving your dreams and hopes to the Lord is sometimes scary, but He won't let you down. I can promise the outcome won't happen in the time frame or in the way you think, but when its in Gods timing its way better.

P.S. More before and after shots to come. I still have to finish the guest/nursery and the Master bedroom, but here are a few sneak peaks of the other two rooms.