House Projects Begin ...

Wow do I have a lot of catching up to do! It has been several months since I last wrote and there has been a lot going on in the Billman household. Where did we leave off ... Oh ya, the house. So Brett and I had overlap time between having to get out of the apartment and being able to move in to the house. That is when we decided to paint. Maybe I should clarify: that is when I decided to paint and my wonderful, PATIENT, husband said he would gladly help me in this adventure. Picking the paints was not as easy as I thought. It took weeks for me to settle on the colors and even then, I was trying to fight back those "buyer remorse" feelings. All in all, it went pretty well. Between Brett, my mother-in-law, and myself, it all got done. While we might have saved a couple of dinero painting it ourselves, I don't think we will try this again.

What is this all about?

I was thinking this morning about the purpose of this blog. I want to inform people of the happenings in our life but I want so much more than that. This blog is meant to show Christ in an authentic way. If you know me, you know that I can't stand when people make the Christian walk look so flowery. The honest truth is, it isn't. However, the difference is I have hope. Ok, now I feel like I am getting ahead of myself ...
Yesterday was a pretty bad day. I cried pretty much my whole way home from work. When I got home, there were beautiful flowers in a vase waiting for me with dinner started by my wonderful husband. Later that night, I got a text message from a good friend from work that in a great way lifted me up. She was real, saying that this sucks but gave a verse that I had forgotten about that struck me hard. I decided to read the whole chapter and the verse that follows is also a good one. 2 Corinthians 12 talks about Paul and his thorn. It's funny how flippantly we use the phrase "thorn in my side" but reading this brings more meaning behind it. Here are the verses that I dwelt on this morning during my quiet time:
v. 9-10: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Wow! I feel so weak right now but I can rest in the hope that I will be made strong because of the Lord. I might not be able to see the strength come at this very moment but who's to say that I won't look back on this time and think "I am human and was not able to see God's purpose until He was ready to reveal it to me!" So this is where there is a fork. I can either put my trust in the Lord and know that He is Sovereign and look to Him for guidance and strength, or I can continue to ask why and wonder down a path that leads to a dead end. This isn't to say that on the path of trusting Christ there aren't tears and some heartache. It is to say that what I can see isn't the big picture. During this time of waiting, I want to be a servant for Christ, looking for opportunities to serve and share with others.

First Night ... Well Kind of

Brett and I got the go ahead on moving into the house! We knew the house would be ours the beginning of August but they moved out a couple of days before that so we stayed the night on Friday. The day first started with us loading up the car with the futon mattress, two plastic cups, and minimal clothes. And of course linens. I brought along some games to play while we stayed in our living room with no TV and my lap top to rent a Redbox and watch together. We unloaded the car of all the things I had brought and started on the yard. The house doesn't have a sprinkler system so we bought hoses and hooked them up with these tractor things that water the yard. We didn't realize how long it would take so we went ahead and went to Fuzzy's for a quick bite to eat by the house. Then off to get dessert and sparkling wine to toast to a new adventure!


Back in our empty house, we decided to watch The Lincoln Lawyer. Right before the movie started, Brett asked if I would pause it for a moment. I had no idea what he was going to do but he didn't surprise me when he stepped up to be the leader of our family and said he would like us to pray over the house. I prayed first and then Brett.


The next morning, Brett had to go into work for a few hours and I went to the church for a half day of prayer to complete the class we are both taking, Equipped Disciple. During these four hours of just the Lord and me, I thought I would search to see what scripture said about hospitality. Here are a couple of things that I found:


1 Peter 4:9 - Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.


Romans 12:13 - Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.


Hebrews 13:2 - Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.


Titus 1:8 - Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.


1 Timothy 5:10 - and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.


The last verse is talking about a widow but I truly want this to be what people say about me at the end of my life. I want to pray these verses over my new house or wherever I am for the rest of my life. Brett and I both want this house to be used by the Lord. That could mean people spending the night, hosting community groups, future foundation groups, Bible Studies, fellowship ... the list is endless! I know this is only the beginning but I am so excited already!

Home Sweet Home!

Well, we finally did it! We are officially first time home buyers. Kind of crazy to think that we own a house! Since this is our first big thing to happen (besides getting married ... more to come one that), I thought this would be the time to start blogging. I've never done this before so we will see how everything turns out.

We are not able to officially move in until August which is a blessing for us since we can't get out of our lease until September. Looking at this house, I think of all the blessings I have. It isn't the materials that make it a blessing but what is going to fill it: a God fearing family. I want this home to be one of joy, peace, and laughter. I want this to be a resting place for those that need a place to lay their head. Brett and I both want the Lord to use this house in every way possible, to show love, compassion, and Jesus.

More to come when we officially move in ...