Home...

In more ways than one, that is.

Yes, we're 'home' from our mini-break in South Florida--had a great time. We'll also--as of the end of this month (and into March due to some minor renovations)--be 'home' for good in our new house, pictured above.

Praise the Lord.

And I mean it.

This whole, 'living in a short-term rental' in a 'less than ideal neighborhood' while hoping against hope that we can 'find a place we love that we can actually afford' bit has been getting a bit trying.

The wife and I have been trading sleepless nights.

I was up 2-4:30am last night, mind racing, heart palpitating, doing my best to repent of worrying about things and also trying to do some 'self-examination' of my heart and motives in light of some fairly unpleasant relational conflicts (yeah, more than one...) we've been dealing with lately.

Oh, and the whole "You might not get that Mortgage after all.." thing wasn't helping either.

See, we'd received approval while we were away (and that was a pretty nice moment, telling the wife about that...) but, after we got back, it turned out one of the minor conditions of the mortgage wasn't going to be able to be 'met' in time for closing later this month. So, while doing backflips with my accountant to try and make that happen, I'd been working with my banker to see if we could find a 'work around'.

Naturally I didn't tell the wife about this, no need for BOTH of us to be sleepless, but boy lemme' tell you, added to all the other pressures in my life right now this last little hiccup almost sent me over the edge.

Anyway, she (the banker) called this morning and, heart in my throat, I waited for the word.

"It's all good, I got it re-approved for you..."

Praise the Lord!

(I can't believe it...)

Yes! I'm going to be able to buy the wife and babies a house!

Yes!

And, here's the thing about the house. 1) It's just over 2.5km from the heart of the downtown of our town. This is huge. It puts us right in the middle of where we need to be to keep connected to the cultural 'zeitgeist' of our city which is imperative for ministering well. 2) It's in the best part of the city to 'run' in and, you'll know that the wife and I are fairly exercise-oriented (especially the wife) and super close to her favorite YMCA where she was the 2010 'Volunteer of the Year'. 3) It's our 'favorite' type and layout of house. In fact, it's exactly the same vintage and design (and probably builder) as the house we just sold which was our 'beloved house'. It's just the next model up. We'll have more than enough bedrooms for our kids to turn into teenagers in and for the relatives to visit and for our friends to crash when it's late night party time come summer. Oh yeah, and speaking of those late night summer parties 4) It's got a pool, and not just your average everyday pool but a gorgeous, fantastic, wonderful pool with a diving board AND water slide!

Yes, my kids are going crazy.

Oh, 5) It backs onto a park which is part of 6) The school our kids will go to and it's 7) Ten minutes door to door from my production offices. 8) It's on a gorgeous street. 9) We got a very good deal on it and 10) We're going to be able to afford to spruce it up a bit, which will include (I can't believe I'm saying this...) 11) a brand new kitchen for my wife.

Crazy, right?

This is a big moment. I hope I'm not boring you. 'Cause there is a point, you know.

See, ten years ago I NEVER could have purchased this house. I was a broke church planter just starting out. Five years ago I NEVER could have purchased this house. I was a broke ex-church planter just starting out as a 'professional' (as in 'try to get paid for it...') TV and Film producer. If you've read this blog (funny that it goes back so far...) at all you'll know the story. 2006/2007 we almost went bankrupt. Hardest two years of our life. 2008 I worked more than I ever had in my life, almost lost my faith, then found it (or was found 'by' it) again. Then 2009/2010 was the 'Let's get back to basics...' sequence and we planted THE WELL (which is really starting to gather a head of steam) and I finally ended up with a 'hit' (a very small one but one nonetheless) TV series (after four 'false starts').

And now I get to buy her this house.

(I can't believe it...)

A key thing we've been very worried about is whether or not we're going to LOVE our new house. See, we loved our old house so much we could never bring ourselves to move even though we outgrew it four years and a fourth kid ago.

Loved that house.

So selling it brought real, intense, pain. Seriously, every time we'd drive anywhere 'near' the old neighborhood the wife and I would just go silent while we tried to keep ourselves from crying.

Pain.

So, all along we've had this unspoken dread of getting our 'next' house and living in it wishing we'd never left our old house.

And that'd be a crappy way to live.

But we were doing our best to trust Jesus and simply live obediently and well and with passion and belief in His end result.

Not an easy task.

Anyway, it's been a couple months of intense upheaval and uncertainty but I'm so very glad to be able to 'go public' with sincere praise to God for His provision of this lovely house for my lovely wife and sweet babies.

(I can't believe it...)

I feel (a little bit) like a 'rich' person getting this house. It's as much 'house' as we'll ever need. I keep wondering if this is a dream--and I know that sounds *so* melodramatic but it's the sincere truth--if you want a sophisticated, cool, detached, unaffected, play your cards close to you chest type blog you're in the WRONG freakin' place.

I can't wait to get in, to rip out carpet and paint. I can wait to watch the guys do their thing re-building it into something lovely. I can't wait to mow the lawns for the first time and cut in new gardens. I can't wait to get to know the pool and figure out how to make it sparkle. I can almost already 'see' my little girls face the first time she ascends that slide and rockets down it hitting the water with a SPLASH to surface grinning ear to ear. I already 'know' how I'll feel the first time we leap out of the hot tub with our friends to skip ten feet into that same pool as it simmers, lit from within, on a summer night.

BBQ's on the deck, tree climbing out front. Basketball on the street, meeting the new neighbors. Snow storms watched from inside and dinner with the in laws. Christmases with my family and football in the new basement.

Coming home at sunset to my sweet wife waiting for me--smiling ear to ear--on the front stoop beneath the canopy upheld by those cedar posts I'm wanting to sand and re-stain RIGHT NOW!

Crazy.

I'm outlining this in such detail 'cause that's 'me' and I'm enjoying just 'expressing' for the sake of it, but I'm also aware that our story is one that might encourage you in yours.

See, the wife and I have taken the road less travelled. We didn't work for 'the man'. We didn't cash in our freedom for security. We decided early on to never trade away the hours of our life for cash and have paid a price for that. We tried to do what was in our hearts to do, even though (many times) many people told us (in person sometimes but usually 2nd or 3rd hand) that we were arrogant, deluded and sure to fail.

And I *know* it's just a house but, it's evidence that...

God has been faithful.

Yes, it's been a (very) tough road. Yes, there have been (many) sleepless nights and stress filled days. Yup, we've questioned ourselves (many) times and have made (tons of) mistakes. We've failed enough to make our own spoof of that iconic Michael Jordan commercial. We've been broken, destroyed, disappointed, abandoned, ridiculed, screwed, maligned, slandered, betrayed and even (just this past year) stalked.

But we're still here.

And we're still excited.

And we still believe.

And we 'aint 'homeless' no more.

No Sir.

And THAT should be an encouragement to you 'cause if we can do it, God knows, so can you...

T