God is Testing My Faith and Patience

At least once in your life you've moved.

Either, across the city, state, country, or continent. I've moved many times in my life. My last move was to the current house my husband and I have lived in for eighteen years. A long time. I thought this was our forever home. We are located in a older neighborhood with mature vegetation, trees, and the best thing is, if you ended up on our road, either you belonged there, or were lost. We live off a dead end, off a dead end, off a dead end. You couldn't try to find us if your life depended on it. 

We love this neighborhood. There are nineteen houses on our road. We live near the dead end. I know everyone who lives in eachhouse. There is the older couple (in their 80's now) who were the first people to build on this road, and the man used to mow the grass on the dirt road. His daughter lives next door with her husband.Our neighbors are a collection of young and old. When we first moved in eighteen years ago, it was mostly families. But, just like our kids, the other kids grew up and moved away. Then we were a predominantly older generation of neighbors. Now, grandchildren are coming back, and as the oldest neighbors either pass on, or move to assisted living facilities, the houses are now being filled with young families again.

The Circle of Life.

As I said, I thought this was going to be our forever home, or if we ever did move, we'd move to something smaller and downsize. 

Well, that ain't gonna happen. 

Currently we are on 1/3 of an acre, with a single story three bedroom, two full bathrooms, great room, cedar throughout, including on the vaulted ceiling in the great room, and ceilings of the back patio and front patio. It's tiled throughout.The master bedroom closet is a woman's dream come true. I know, my husband designed it for me. We can't take it with us, as it was constructed to fit the dimensions of this closet. I'm really going to miss it.When we first moved in here, eighteen years ago, the kids were younger, so we made sure it had a pool. The kids are gone, I rarely get in, because it has to be over 80 degrees before I'll step foot in it. My husband used more, but, mostly we collect the leaves that drop and empty the skimmer. We did put a new sand filter on it.

So, it was my husband's idea to move. Last year, he got his pilot's license. Since then, he's been eager to buy a plane. However, after insurance, hanger fees, etc, the cost is outrageous. 

So, he found this community about 40 miles north of us, in an airport community, where the runway goes down the center of the community, two roads on each side, that are used as taxi ways, so the pilots can taxi down the road to their house and park their plane in their own hanger.

So, we are now getting one acre of land. A 2500 square foot hanger. A three car garage, and two story home with three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, an office, a formal dining room, a laundry room (thank you, God!), and a loft. I think the total square feet is somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 square feet. Dear God, way more than I can handle, so am going to be looking or a housekeeper! We did go back and forth for quite a while, trying to decide if we (me) really wanted to move. I was overwhelmed a bit about how big it all was, including a two story house.

Here's a really good aerial view of the house while we flew over it.

This was my husband's dream ever since he was young. He has always wanted to fly his own airplane. As a kid and all through  adulthood, he's flown Remote Control Airplanes and Helicopters.It was just never the same. 

He alway thought he'd get a chance to go for his pilot license after he retired, but i felt that was too late. He needed to get his license and plane and enjoy it now, and not when we're all decrepit. Fifteen years ago, my wonderful hubby let me quit writing technical computer user manuals and turn to writing fiction full time. I have had twelve books published, I work as a writing coach, I give writing workshops and work as a freelance writer for other companies and websites.

  Didn't he deserve the best opportunity as well?

Of course he did! He's an awesome person, My husband had faith and trust in me to follow my dream of writing, so he deserved my support to follow him with his dream

Of course, it is a win situation for me as well. I get an awesome new office, with huge windows with great views where I can store all my writing, research, and other books, along with all my files and author information. Including all the writing workshops I give, the writing coach information I have and the freelance work i do. 

Best of all, I get to finish my Bipolar Memoir and I know it will be a great resource for those in need. 


And I have an entire acre of land to create the gardens of my dreams, with stepping stones throughout. We've already told the buyers of our current home that we're digging up one of our Plumeria trees and taking it with us. 

We started out with about a six to eight inch cutting from a friend's Plumeria in the Florida Keys and planted it about 12 or so years ago. Now, it's been cut and trimmed too many times to count. I've given pieces away to neighbors. And it's still now three separate trees and blooms the most gorgeous yellow flowers. If you don't know what a Plumeria is, it's the flower in Hawaii that they use to create the leis. It can only grow in tropic areas. I'm hoping 40 miles north of us, will still be hospitable for the trees. 

The house we bought was a foreclosure. The seller (Fannie Mae) had no vested interest in really helping us, or making the process easy for us. We used the VA loan I was eligible for, as I am a Veteran.

 Easy peasy, right?

Are you kidding!! We are actually closing tomorrow, (updated, we closed yesterday, beyond any belief or trust I had in doing so), after over three months of sheer chaos. Fannie Mae and the VA don't get along anyway, so that was strike one against us. We started out with a loan processor who (lucky us) had never processed a loan before, we were her first. Strike two.

Third strike, as the house was a foreclosure, and Fannie Mae wasn't about to do anything to fix it up, besides painting the inside walls and putting down new carpet, we are responsible for buying and installing all appliances, installing two new air conditioning units, fixing the garage doors so they'll open, buy a new hot water heater, and the list goes on and on. 

I so believe that God sent every obstacle our way as a test to see if this was truly the home of our dreams, the lifestyle we wanted, and were willing to do what we had to to make sure we got the home.If it weren't for God's strength and the many prayer chains I asked for through my church, I don't think I could have managed this chaotic experience. 

I did have one relapse, putting me in the psychiatric ward for a week, but the driving force was panic, anxiety and PTSD triggers, than the actual problems with the seller and our inept loan officer. It didn't help, though.



Which leads us to the airplane. Greg really has his heart set on a particular plane. That was the driving force behind making this major decision in our life. 

 So, here it is, in all it's glory. I've even flown it. 

One minor detail, I don't know how to land for real. 

I've seen it done a zillion times, and have done it with simulators, including with the Lear Jet simulator at the training center at Tucson International Airport. Now, that was some fun flight training. 

But, as I said, I was never officially taught how to land a single engine plane. So, hubby has decided that I am going to take some lessons from one of his favorite instructors that is the best at teaching take offs and landings. Hubby is completely behind my request and decision to learn to fly in more detail and especially learn how to land. I won't be able to get my pilot's license, because I won't pass the medical requirements, but at least I can be the best co-pilot I can for my hubby. 

Details, details. 

Right? 

But, we have conquered most of them. Especially, since, I've actually been writing this blog over the last few days. I started out before we closed and, guess what? 

WE CLOSED YESTERDAY!! 

Finally. Now, we have to move our entire household by Wednesday. Of course, my hubby has some insane logic that he can get all moved (including furniture) with our neighbor's panel truck and some help from friends. As a matter of fact, he took the first load up today. The plane goes in the hanger today 

YAY!! 

I truly am believing now that we are going to move and start a new chapter in our lives.

Of course, after going up to the house early to do a walk through, before going back to Tampa, to do the closing paperwork, I was a knot of anxiety and panic. Afterwards, the release of it all, caused another panic and anxiety attack. Then hubby wanted to go to Home Depot, Lowes, and Best Buy to look at appliances. By the last store, I was completely beyond any intelligent conversation, nor did I have any decision making abilities left. Wasted. Exhausted. Checked out. I have to say that my faith and patience were tested in great detail over the last few months. We vacillated from wanting to buy the house, to staying here and not selling, to not buying the house and buying a vacant lot and building our own house, to cancelling everyone's contracts, to wanting to buy the house again. 

Each time, I prayed and prayed for God to help guide us in the right direction and to show us the way. 

Prayer works. 

God never left us alone, and he never interfered without a darn good reason. Because we put this entire move into His hands, some obstacles were nearly insurmountable, but getting to the other side led to sweet rewards. 

Now, in the next few days, we must say good-bye to this house that has been our home for eighteen years. 

A great couple is buying it. He serves our country by working at MacDill Air Force Base. She is going to have their first child within days of us closing. 

To accommodate them, we've moved up the closing as early as we could and still get everything out of this house and have all things installed at the new house. I truly enjoy this couple and am so happy we chose their bid over the other three we received. 

 Did I tell you the miracle? 

We put our house on the market over Valentine's Day weekend. It was on the market for two days and we received four bids all over asking price. 

Doesn't God work in mysterious ways? 

I didn't want to go through weeks of showing the house. It would stress me and my dog. He had tot be boarded over that weekend we did show the house, as it would have been too much on him. It really hurt me, though, because one, we had strange people walking in and out of our house for those two days, and I couldn't have my dog, Jack around to help soothe me. If you've followed this blog, you know that Jack and I have a very deep connection. He's my therapy dog. I got him when he was ten weeks old and we bonded immediately. He is going to be thirteen this year.  

I know that we are going to have to say good-bye to him soon. Hubby, at first, said after Jack, we would never have another dog again. 

But, prior to closing, he told me that he realizes I need a companion dog for my therapy, and after we are settled in the new house, we are going to get another dog, young enough to learn from Jack everything required to be my companion. 

Don't I have just the sweetest hubby in the whole world? 

I know that God had our life mapped out before we were even born. 

Sometimes, I can be stubborn and try to make my own path, but it takes a whack on the head from God to make me realize that it's His way or NO WAY. 

So, ultimately, I end up following God's plan, regardless. Sometimes, it takes a little more time to get there, as I sometimes don't follow the exact trail, but it eventually leads me back to the right track. 

So, to sum up this blog post, it really does take a leap of faith to make things happen in your life. 

In our new home, I'm getting a gorgeous office filled with huge windows so I'll have plenty of light and awesome views. 

We are getting an amazing amount of land so I can have the gardens of my dreams.

And, most of all, I'll have my very happy hubby, his airplane, my dog, Jack, my parrot, Bailey and will have moved from one paradise to the other. 


 Thank you for following us on this journey, I appreciate you reading my post, and hearing the thunder outside reminds me I was supposed to pack up all my gardening tools and materials. 

Have a blessed day.
Vicki

Being Still Amid a Busy Life

A woman has a very busy life. There are kids, family, husbands, bosses, friends, pets, finances, homes and more that take up her time.

Studies show that not only is the average woman busy from the time she gets up to the tie she goes to bed, but she also is reducing her sleep time because she has too much to do.

Does this sound like you?

You must learn to slow down. It takes self-determination and control. But it can happen.

Being busy all the time not only affects a woman's physical life, but their spiritual life as well. I know. It's really hard to slow down for anything, even for God.

God can help put your life in perspective. To do so, you must be still and know God. When you take time to be with God, you can build a better relationship with Him. When you focus on God, you can remember how vast He is. God knows everything. Always remember that.

God is everywhere. He's the focus of the universe. Knowing all of this really puts your life into perspective, don't you think?

When you are still, you are refreshed spiritually. You gain a new sense of how important you are to God.

Just think about it.

Be still. Listen for God's voice. He loves you. God whispers his love, support and reassurance to you.

Can you do it? Can you be still enough to hear God's voice?

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth! -- Psalm 46:10

Vacations There and Back Again

It's nice to get away but it's so much nicer to come home. Thank God we are home. I wasn't sure if that was going to be a reality at one point while I stood at the Casper Airport Delta ticket counter. I originally had planned to come home on Wednesday, July 3rd while my husband due to work issues would return home on Monday, July 1st. However, I had finished my vacation. I was done. I missed home. I missed my dog, Jack. And I was tired of living in hotels. So, I called Delta to change my reservation from Wednesday to Monday, to coincide with my hubby's return and so that we could sit together. The customer service person who "helped" me on the telephone was of no help at all. Come to find out, after I received confirmation, I was booked on entirely different flights returning to Florida.

So, Sunday night, we drove to Casper, WY from Buffalo to spend yet our final night in a hotel so that we'd be close to the airport and didn't have to drive at 2:30 am to get there. The airport was 110 miles plus from Buffalo, WY where we were visiting family.

We dropped our rental off (boy did it need a bath!) and headed for the Delta ticket counter. Little did the unsuspecting ticket agent realize that when he asked if he could help me what kind of situation I was going to give him.

He clicked away at his terminal. Clicked some more. And some more. Not saying a word for twenty minutes. My hubby and I looked at each other wondering if we were getting helped at all. Then the ticket agent stepped away and asked for additional help. Came back and clicked some more and some more and some more. I was so anxious by then, I had to ask him if he was making any progress and if he could tell me what he was doing. He replied that he was booking me on my hubby's flight and had to make the changes so that we could sit together.

Sheesh. Was that so difficult to communicate while we stood their waiting?

Finally. Finally after a good forty minutes at the Delta counter, little Codee the ticket agent, worked his magic and pulled it off. He got me on my hubby's flights and we had adjacent seats. Yay! Go Codee.

So, we flew from Casper, WY to Salt Lake City, UT, to Minneapolis, MN to Tampa, FL. A long way around the states to get home, but we did. And were we so happy when we finally pulled into our driveway. The cab driver was a sweetheart and helped us carry our luggage to the house in the pouring rain.

That was yesterday. Today, I slept in. In my own bed. In my own room. Cuddled to my own pillows. Then, I made the trip to Bailey's vet to pick him up from boarding. He chirped and purred and tweeted his hello's and showed me with kisses how happy he was to see me.

Getting him settled at home was easy and before I knew it, it was time to pick up Jack. The doctors had to draw some blood this morning, so I couldn't pick him up until the afternoon. He need a blood panel and thyroid tests done, as well as a urinalysis. Seems there might be some issues. We'll get the results tomorrow.

When they brought him from the back to me up front he was so excited and I was so happy to see him I don't know who was happier. He jumped into my arms and we hugged it out. I was covered in white fur. I was so worried about him being away from us for so long. He did have a bit of "cage nose" where he rubbed it on his kennel. It should heal quickly.


What awaits me tomorrow? Piles of dirty laundry. And going through all the hundreds and hundreds of pictures we took. We'll have to make a website for them. So much work. I hope you enjoyed the photos I did post while we were away. I hope we didn't bore you too much.

I don't even care about the laundry or website work. I'm just so glad to be home.

Five Minute Friday - Home

It's time for the "Five Minute Friday" blogging post. The inspiration comes from Lisa Jo Baker. 

What you do is set your timer for five minutes and write whatever you want according to the prompt Lisa places on her blog every Friday. Then you go back, link your blog and give support to those who posted before you. And, we connect on Twitter with #FiveMinuteFriday.

Ready.

Set.

Go.

Home

Home used to mean a structure. A place to live. Where I put down roots and made a nest. Home no longer means any of those things. Home is where I will go when I die and am Heaven-bound. That is home to me. My existence in this world is temporary. We all are here on borrowed time. God's time. And, when God calls us home, what a glorious day that will be. Home is where my heart is. My heart is with my Lord Jesus Christ and my place is at his side. Just as he's been at my side my entire life.

So, we can all live in our temporary structures with roofs over our head and a place to park our car, but can we really call that our "forever" home? Events change in our life. Will the house you live in now, be the same house you live in next year? In five years? At the end of your years? Nothing is the same except change. I think I heard that quoted somewhere. Only one thing is constant in my life. God's presence in my heart.

My "forever" home awaits me. Do you have a forever home to go to at the end of your days?

Stop.

Click on the Five Minute Friday logo below and see what others have written for their prompt. Have a great day.

Five Minute Friday

We finally have Pictures!

For those of you who have been following along with our home remodeling project. Here's a picture of its current status.

The wall is capped and dear hubby will start the stucco this weekend.

I asked him, "Do you know how to stucco?"

"No. But, I'm reading a book about it."

Do you see where we're going from here? But, I have to admit, he didn't do badly with the wall at all. It's straight (mostly), level (sort of), and meets his specifications. There's even the required 40 inch gaps for the screen doors.

Speaking of screens, we finally agreed on who will do the work. Now we have to determine the "when". You see, the screeners can't start until the wall is finished. That means stucco. And paint. Now, who is going to paint?

Don't look at me!

A Lesson in Home Improvement

My husband and I are making changes to our house. We bought it in an "At is" state, and have slowly made changes over the years. This year, we're screening in the back patio. Our goal is to have it done before Hurrican Season.

I wanted to hire a contractor and pay to have them do all the work. My husband said, "No, don't do that. I can do it for a lot less."

Now, has my husband ever screened in a patio before?

No.

But, he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh, huh.

His plan is to build a block wall about 2 - 3 feet high all around the patio with concrete.

Has he ever done masonry work before?

Nope.

But, he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh, huh.

Do you think we'll be done by Hurricane Season?

Well, we have two months. That should give hubby plenty of time to get the block wall finished so I can bring in professional screeners to finish it up.

You didn't think I was going to let him do everything by himself, did you? We compromised. And, he agreed, when it comes to screens, let the pros handle it.

After the screening is finished it get to replace my sliding glass doors with French double doors. One double pane of glass, with the blinds in between the glass. I can't wait.

Who's going to put in the double doors? We haven't agreed on that yet.

But, we will. I'll keep you informed.