A BIG Surprise Christmas Present!

(Suffolk, VA Dec 2009). In April 2009 we put our home in Suffolk, Virginia up for sale. We figured that by the time Ed officially retired in October we would have sold the house and be on our way to Oregon before the cold weather hit. As month after month passed we accepted the fact that we were probably not going to be moving until spring of 2010 or later. So we settled in to our new retirement routine and found ways to keep busy. December 14th we had gotten back from visiting friends in northern Virginia when the realtor called with an offer on the house! After 8 months of waiting, this was our very first offer! By the end of that day we had come to an agreement with the buyers and, in our minds, had sold the house! The biggest factor was that they wanted us out by January 8th...less than a month away! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to us! We decided it would be a GREAT idea to pack and move ourselves thus giving us the opportunity to purge and organize. So began 3 weeks of purging, sorting, boxing, trashing and giving away. Ed enjoyed it all. I didn't! December 31st was the big day. 12-15 strong, able-bodied men from our church showed up to help us load the truck. January 1st we were out of the house. What a great way to start the new year. January 8th as we were driving through the beautiful (even in winter) Columbia River Gorge and beginning to feel like we were home at last...our realtor called to tell us we were officially homeless! We were thrilled. Today as I sit here looking out at the wind and the rain and the waves at the Oregon coast I'm reminded of the verse in James 1:6. I'm so thankful I'm not blown around like those waves. That I know God is leading and guiding us. NO DOUBT!