House built by faith!

Just a short short background.. Well as short as I can get it. lol

I have been married for 13 years. It's been my dream, as it'd be with anyone, to have my own home. Hubby and I bought the property we live on about about 16 years ago with the dream of building our home on our property. We've lived up here in a trailer that cost us $2500 and was suppose to be temporary when we moved up here 12 years ago. 

Back about three years ago we had FINALLY made it to the point that we thought that maybe, just maybe we could get our dream home built. We went and was EASILY pre-approved for a mortgage. This was the time when the housing market took the nose dive. We told them everything up front and they told us everything was fine so we went and paid $500 out on some house plans through a contractor. At the time we didn't owe out ANY debt, hubby was making good money at his job, and we were putting up $70,000 worth of land to build a house that cost $120,000 to purchase. We thought for sure everything was going to go smoothly. Well it didn't! They found every reason they could find to turn us down. Talk about upset! I was VERY upset! I cried for literally WEEKS! I just didn't understand after all we had done. After trying to do the right thing, not trying to get in over our heads, or biting off more than we could chew... After waiting till the time was right for us, we were turned down for this construction loan. I was utterly devastated!

It took me by complete shock! Don't think I'm trying to toot my own horn (at all) but after paying all of hubby's child support off, after paying all of our other debts, having good credit, trying to do everything right, we felt like we were being punished.

If I'm going to be completely honest here, I was upset with the Lord as well. All those years of waiting till the right time, waiting till we were at a place we could afford it, all the time of trusting the Lord to provide, I felt that He wasn't providing for us. I know this my sound bad some "religious" folks, but it's the truth. Like I said I was devastated!

Waiting all these years in a single wide with three children, the place falling down around us, and we can't get a home! I still don't think I'm completely over it. I'm no longer mad at the Lord, but I am at the whole system. I'm mad at the banks!

After this happened, we FIRED our bank! We bought a truck through them, had a business account, checking account, and all the children had savings accounts and we fired them! I wasn't going to allow them to make one more penny off of me if I could help it. Even if this meant I had to drive further to go to another bank.

After all of this happened 3 years ago, we looked at our live and tried to figured out what the Lord had in mind for us. We were in business for 8 years and we closed it down when the housing market fell. He was working for contractors and wasn't happy with what he was doing. We couldn't build a home. The trailer we were living in was in bad shape so we knew we had to do something so we just sought the Lord.

For a few years hubby has felt the call of the Lord on his life to go out into the highway and hedges and preach the good news of Christ (A street preacher). We felt like we were not to rely on anyone to give us money to do the work of God. Not knocking anyone who does, but we just believed that if God wanted us to do this, He was going to have to make a way for it to happen. This was going to be our way of knowing it was His will and not ours. Well when we were turned down for the loan, we felt this was Him telling us that He was making that way for us. Sound crazy? This is what it means to walk in faith. I knew that if the house wasn't His will for us, than SOMETHING else MUST be!

So after seeking the Lord, hubby decided to get on with the local Ironworker Union. We knew that no matter what, we could no longer live in our trailer. The roof leaked, the plug ins were smoking and trying to catch fire, mold growing everywhere and a host of other problems. Let's just say it was NOT livable. Most of it's issues came from 2 very active hurricane seasons in which we had to flee to the North so we wouldn't get swept away.. Gotta love living in the South! ha

So believing the street preaching was the Lord's will we decided to hit the road! We bought a travel trailer and went! Since being rejected for the loan we have been on the road approximately 2 of the 3 years. Coming home to visit, and a few months here and there to work close to home. Hubby gets home sick often. lol Each time we come home we have to stay in our travel trailer because of the issues with our old home. It still sits out back desperately needing to be torn down. We're going to tear it down board by board.

A home has always been in the back of my mind. I think of my 13 year old daughter having her own bedroom and hoping and praying that we'll have one before she's grown and gone from my home. :( The thought of her space consisting of a space the size of a full size bed (literally) and sharing the top (bunk) portion with her brother. The thought of having to kick my children out of the travel trailer in order to get alone time with my husband. It all makes me tear up just thinking about it.

So not to to long ago, I'd say sometime last year the Lord started speaking to me. He kept showing and telling me on a few occasions that HE was going to give me that home I want. He told me to trust Him. I questioned Him on how. Isn't it crazy how we want to see the ending before the beginning? What did He tell me? That He was going to provide. He told me that as I walk in faith and take each step, He was going to pave the way for the next one. It was so hard for me to believe, but I do! I do believe Him! Problem is, believing Him is not enough. Having faith requires action. I can say I have faith all I want, but unless I do something with that faith, I'm not sure if you could call it faith. Well?

Anyhow, this gets us to today! We have decided yet again build a home for our family! This time we decided to do it differently. One of the major differences.. We are no longer going to rely on a bank, we are going to rely on the Lord. This is His way, not ours. We are no longer going to build a bigger house that is to much for us. We're planning on building something that is approx 1200 sq ft. We plan on building with CASH as the Lord provides! Lord knows we don't have the money at this point to build, but that is what living by faith is all about.

This is what He has told us to do. I can't see the end, but He is having us begin, trusting that He will make a way. Since the time He told us that He was going to provide a home for us, I started doing things online to make money. EVERY penny I make is going to my home. Anything over and above bills and living expenses is going to our new home. The Lord gave me a great ability to budget. Thank you Jesus! So living on little is something I'm comfortable with in order to get what He has promised me.

Last Friday, May 18th, we met with a guy my uncle recommended to us to draw up our house plans!!! We gave him all the ins and outs of the home we want to build and gave him the $300 to get started. I am so nervous and so excited all at the same time. I just have to trust the Lord that He is going to make a way where there seems to be no way. At this point in time, hubby's laid off from work, we have no income coming in to our home, not even unemployment. We don't know where/when the next job will come, but we trust God to provide. We have enough to get the plans, the building permit, and maybe even the foundation. :D How exciting!

We still believe in the Lord's call on hubby's life. We still believe that his job gives us a means and a way of preaching the gospel to the lost without asking a penny from anyone. HE will provide the way! We just would like to have a place to stretch out when we come home, thus the house He is going to build for us.

The reason for this blog? So y'all can see where we've been, where we are, and where we are going as a family. I'm hoping that through this little (little?) I said here, it will help to build your faith and help you to seek the Lord on His will for your life. Without knowing His call and His will for our lives, things aren't near as good for us. His perfect will is where I want to live!

Get ready, because I plan on providing plenty of updates!!! :D Thanks for reading my little story! ♥