We bought a house

This spring we bought a house in North Carolina.

{This is the house we will live in most of the year, still spending our summers in our little old beach cottage.}

There are so many things I want to share about this house and the beautiful property on which it sits and how it feels like this God-given place.

We do thank God for this place.

In all that we do, may our lives here sing gratitude and bring Him glory.  Yet it is hard to come before you and say, “look at this thing the Lord has done.”  Because while I want to tell you how humbled I feel that God prepared this place for us, led us here by faith and prayer and family, I also know there are children who love and worship the Lord who live in huts and drink filthy water and whisper prayers on dirt floors and I know the Lord loves those children too.

rare and beautiful treasures blog walk
And yet here we are, in the country, with our very own red barn, and 300 peonies bursting forth in color in the front yard.

And it feels like every inch of this place is my Lord whispering,

“I know you.  I know your heart.”

I “hear” Him whispering.

rare and beautiful treasures blog red barn

And I know that the Lord has said:

My [daughter], do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you peace and prosperity.

rare and beautiful treasures blog swing

 

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

rare and beautiful treasures blog front drive

We have finally accomplished the goal we set for ourselves when we sold our New Old House in the suburbs.  We now own a home in each of our small hometowns, where our children can grow up in close-knit communities, close to all four of their grandparents, and our payments on two houses are significantly less than they were for that one big house we left behind three years ago.  Somewhere Dave Ramsey is cheering like William Wallace.

Our Sweet Home Carolina house was built in 1940.  Similar to our Michigan cottage, it has lots of character hidden beneath renovations and carpet circa 1970.  It has a gracious old Southern charm.  It had a carpeted kitchen the size of a postage stamp, some rotten sub-floor and a few dead mice.

WE LOVE IT.

I don’t understand why God has done this thing for us but I know we are not meant to understand and we thank Him and praise Him and work to glorify His holy name.

Friends, we are HOME.

19 Comments

  1. How wonderful is this news! You truly are blessed, what a beautiful home to call your own and in which to raise your little angel babies. Excited for you!
    xoxo
    Kate

  2. I am thrilled to PIECES for you, your family & your beautiful homes! Yes He has blessed you, and you have done your part by remaining faithful & singing His praise. Congratulations!

  3. Erin,
    Your new home is so lovely!! Your words are beautiful!I can relate to the way you feel..I have wondered the same thoughts and ponderings as you. We don’t understand why God is so good to us. But we do know that He keeps His Word and He fulfills His promises to His children. God is good! It is also amazing how He shows Himself through the things we love such as red barns and peonies!!
    I can’t wait to see more posts of the blessings yet to come of your new home.

  4. Oh Erin, YAY! I’m so happy for you guys! What a gorgeous property, and that yard is perfect for letting two boys run around and grow up! It’s just beautiful. So, so, so happy for you! Congratulations my friend, welcome home!

  5. What beautiful grounds! And 300 peonies!! Squeal! 😉 When we delight in the Lord, he gives us the desires of our hearts. 🙂

  6. Yes! Amen! Welcome Home!
    I am so happy for you. And yes, I understand how humbling it is. Let’s just praise God for His overwhelming blessing to your faithfulness.
    What a lovely spot in which to grow and love and bless.

  7. This is my first comment to the lovely stories you have shared, I felt Him in your telling, and in His goodness to you and yours…receive all that He longs to give you..It is your Father’s good pleasure to give this..He loves you…enjoy Home and all that it gives.
    God bless.

  8. It’s beautiful.
    I can’t wait to see your journey to make it your very own.
    I also can’t wait to see that sign hanging in the nursery. 🙂

  9. SO, so happy for y’all, sweet friend! And I love how the “island” in between the drives looks like a heart! 😀 Let us know when you’re ready for visitors. 😉

  10. As I sit smack in the middle of a four year journey that begun with the exact heart stirrings you shared back in 2010, I really and truly just shed a few tears. Just to know that there may indeed be an end to our waiting… someday we might be able to say these same words. It gives me hope on a day where I’ve been praying and fasting for a specific answer and lacking enough faith to believe that He cares at all anymore. I know in my heart that’s not true. But I am weary. So very weary. I want to be HOME too. Thank you for sharing this. It gives me reason to hope in HIM… again.

    Sasha

  11. Wow! I have been thinking about your post since I read it last week! I am soooo happy for you and think that is great that your dreams have been fulfilled all one step at a time. It is incredibly encouraging! I was also so sad when you sold your new old house but how wonderful is the life you have now! Really living life the way we aren’t meant to live it. Thank you for your inspiring story!

  12. Erin, I am so so deeply happy for you and your beautiful family (just a little late on the news, sorry!!). I cannot wait to see you guys make it your own. Enjoy every little moment!

    And I can’t wait to see more of the cottage this summer still 😉

    Holly

  13. congrats! love the look of your new home! wonderful driveway! want to see more of the cute barn someday!

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