Update since my last post...we did NOT get the house below. As I expected, our highest offer, and their lowest asking price had a big gap between them. We didn't even counter back, which made the realtor a little mad, but the price just wasn't smart for us, so we went on our merry way...to a foreclosure in a neighborhood close to the one I grew up in. This house was DIRT CHEAP, and more house than I believed we would ever live in!!! It needed some work, but we were excited about that. My hubs is bomb at construction and renovations, and the profit we were going to turn if we sold one day was SICK! I literally had $ $ for eyeballs! So we made an offer...the first one in the five months the house had been on the market...or so we thought. Turns out another couple made an offer an hour before we did. What are the chances? The listing agent told our realtor that our offer was higher, so we felt good! The bank came back a day later and asked for best and highest offers to be submitted by a certain time. We went full price, and the other couple "said" they weren't going to resubmit an offer. The house was as good as ours. However, they came in at the very last minute and made an offer lower than ours, but with a loan that is more beneficial to the bank in a foreclosure situation. So, we lost house number 3, and I was HEARTBROKEN over this one somethin' fierce! We fought for this one...tooth and nail, and I felt like I had been knocked out after 12 rounds. I had completely moved into that sucker in my mind. Shoot. I had things in the attic and the Christmas tree up, for cryin' out loud! I told Dan after many, many sobbing tears that it felt like a horrible break-up. Like I would never be able to even LOOK at another house, because nothing will EVER be better than that one! How many times have we all said THAT, only to find the next one usually IS better?? Can I get an "Amen?"
Well, it did get better. Along came the house one THUNDERBIRD Drive! I like to say it like the Nascar commercials, "SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUUUUUNNNNNDDDDAYYYYYY!!!" Say it with me in that deep voice, with your chin down..."THHHHHUUUUNNNNNDDDEEERRRBBBIIRRRRDDDD DRRIIIIVVVVVEEEE!" Fun, huh? ; ) Totally Oklahoma. All we need is a Dream Catcher on the door. This house is in a neighborhood that has a golf course and country club, which is why it has maintained its value through the years. It was built in 1977 by a couple who were its only owners until they both passed away early this year. The house is now owned by their five kids through their trust, and they are ready to get rid of it. Again, it needs work, but that's what I am looking for. It would almost be a shame with Dan's talent NOT to buy somewhat of a fixer-upper. And with the $8K tax credit, we'll have the money to do it. Anyway, this 2,900sf, 4 bed/3 bath/2 living/formal dining sucker was listed way out of our price range, so I wasn't really sure why we were even looking at it with our realtor. But she convinced me, and we made an offer that day...a LOOOOOOOOWWW offer, at that. I thought, 'what the heck do we have to lose at this point??' The sellers came back the next day and simply asked if we could pay $1,000 over our original offer and close three days earlier! In the words of my beloved Napolean Dynomite, "HECK YES WE CAN!" And it was done. Just as easy as that! Or so we thought...
We had inspections on Monday, and in older homes in OK, the HVAC duct work was run through the foundation with vents in the floor. After receiving some great advice from a dear friend, we decided to pay to have the duct work scoped with a video camera to see if they were still in tact. Guess what...they weren't. And with that size of a house, there are TWO AC units, one on each side. They both need to be replaced, and all duct work needs to be run through the attic. Our loan won't be approved until its done. So, we have spent the past couple days getting, oh, anywhere from $16,800 to $20,000 bids to have the work done. The listing agent will present the estimates to the seller tomorrow, and we will go from there. The good thing is, they stand to make 100% profit off of this home since it is paid off, so anything they spend will just be backed out of that. The bad news is, they are basically GIVING us the house already. Our fear is that they will fix it, then put it back on the market touting new AC units and ducts to get a higher offer. Either way, they will HAVE to fix the problem, or disclose the inspection findings to every potential buyer down the road. So again we wait, with hopeful hearts. Not sure what I will do if we lose this one. I love this house. It's a home. Our home. You can almost feel the love that lived there for years. Mmmm...good stuff.
Outside of the house hunting, we have been busier than I can remember...ever. Could just be that we are still in transition, so nothing much feels settling, but shoot, I'm slammed! We are right at the launch of the two-year capital campaign at Victory called "Light A Fire", and it's ALL marketing, ALL THE TIME! I love the purpose and passion behind LAF, which includes my hubs getting a new youth building (YEE-HAW!). But I have learned the dictionary meaning of "Light A Fire" is to "burn the candle at both ends." I have definitely been doing that. It's so going to be worth it though. Every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears poured into this thing. It has been amazing to watch the staff come together to get things done at all costs. We had our first church-wide LAF event last night, which was a Prayer Journey: a night of praise, worship, and strategic prayer over this movement. It was AWESOME to see how the church responded. I believe the Lord is beginning to knit the hearts of Victory Church to the vision of Light A Fire, and it's going to be RIDIC! Better watch out OKC! This fire's gonna spread pretty quickly!
All that to say, I'm tired. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror today, and it made me sad. I have actually had blood tests run in the past week for some health concerns too. I'm just plumb worn-out, and it's written all over my face and "innards." Dan and I run at a rate that would tire most people after just a few days. We have been running at that rate since we got engaged last June...almost a year and a half ago. Constantly rushed. Constantly things on the agenda that you are running to get to. Never any REAL downtime; and IF there ever is, I don't even know what to do with myself. I get so anxious just sitting, because I DON'T have tons to do. That's not good. I told Dan the other day, "We HAVE to slow down. Like, we HAVE to carve out time every week where we literally do nothing, and PROTECT IT like we would our own child!" His response was that it was just "a busy season." I quickly negged that (for those of you who don't know my lingo, that means I shot that down), and told him that we had been saying that since we got engaged. "After the wedding things will slow down. After we move, things will slow down. After we are in a house, things will slow down. After Light A Fire is over, things will slow down." I don't believe it. What I DO believe, is that this busyness has gone from "a season" to "a lifestyle." To the point that I can't function outside of it, and have lost a bit of myself in it. I can make a long list of the things I would like to "do" if I ever got real downtime, but isn't that just being busy again?
I want REAL downtime...where there IS no checklist...not a few hours sandwiched between two calendar items...not a day where I cram in all of the stuff I can't get done any other time, like grocery shopping, house cleaning, taking my FLIPPIN' clothes from the top of the dryer, into my closet, and actually ONTO hangers...ge'ez LOUISE!! REAL DOWNTIME, PEOPLE! Where I can watch all of the girly movies I want to, INCLUDING and not limited to, the Hannah Montana movie, first and foremost (don't you judge me)...where I can sleep without an alarm clock...where I can stay in my pj's all stinkin' day if I want...where my calendar items on my phone don't sound like a handbell choir for the whole day...where I can paint these toenails...where I can just PAINT again! I love to paint and haven't in a year and a half because of this "busyness" thing we have let run our lives.
I'm telling you now though, a new season is coming in the lives of Dan and Jenn. One where we can say "no," and not feel bad. One where we have time for "us" AND for "me." One of health, both physically and spiritually. The Lord has been speaking that over me for a couple of weeks, and I'm clinging desperately to His words. He IS hope for the hopeless...He IS healing for the broken...He DOES carry the weary...He DOES rescue the hurting...He WILL make us whole again. He is THE ONLY ONE who can, and I trust He will do all of those things and more in my poor, weak, tired bones and spirit.
I love me some Brooke Fraser. Sister can SING! But I think more of a gift is her ability to write. If your speakers are up, you are probably listening to some of my favorite tunes right now. One is my favorite Brooke Fraser song called "Shadowfeet". My friend Jenny told me a couple years back that it was my theme song. I agree. To me, it's like the Bible, in that it is living and breathing. The Bible is the only book that reads differently just about every time I pick it up, depending on what "season" in life I am in. This song does that in me too. In this particular season, it speaks to my weariness, to my self-defeat, to my messy spirituality, and to the promise that when I feel so tired that I can't stand, as the song says, "when the world has fallen out from under me, I'll be found in YOU, still standing", that HE "makes ALL things new," and that I even though I'm stumbling at times, I am most definitely "made of different stuff than when I began"...though it doesn't always feel like it.
Scroll down to the music player at the bottom of this page, turn your speakers up loud, click play on "Shadowfeet" (it's number three), then come back up and read these lyrics as she sings. It will make you smile...
Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
Toward home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing
Less and less asleep
Made of different stuff than when I began
And I have sensed it all along
Fast approaching is the day
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
There's distraction buzzing in my head
Saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
But I've heard rumours of true reality
Whispers of a well-lit way
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
You make all things new
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
Toward home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing
Less and less asleep
Made of different stuff than when I began
And I have sensed it all along
Fast approaching is the day
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
There's distraction buzzing in my head
Saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
But I've heard rumours of true reality
Whispers of a well-lit way
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
You make all things new
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
...see...you're smiling, aren't you... ; )
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