06-14-2023, 01:43 PM
We knew long ago that we couldn't stay in our apartment forever. The calling and mission would eventually move us to another kind of residence. But we didn't have anything concrete, just a vague sense we were getting close.
It sprang us rather suddenly last week. My son asked us if we would consider merging our financial resources to buy a house big enough for all of us to share. Not a mobile home, like the last time, but a regular house. We have no illusion about how challenging it will be, but the alternatives for all of us are far worse. Pray with us; here are the concerns we see:
1. Short time frame. Our lease comes up in August. Their situation may be even shorter.
2. Financing, of course. It's one thing to have enough income for the payments, but there are more costs before you even make that first payment. In our favor is that my VA home loan privileges still cover us for a decent amount in our local market.
3. Location. My daughter-in-law is pushing to stay in their current school district (Choctaw, OK). My wife needs to stay near her employer, the Mid-Del School District. While those two are adjacent, it does limit our choices trying to stay close to that shared boundary.
4. Size. It has to be big enough to accommodate all of us, and four cars, etc. The honest truth is that I'm willing to do without a computer office, but not my server. There are too many reasons both families need computers for different work purposes, so four bedrooms is the minimum, and five is a lot better. They have three daughters, and one is a teen.
Regardless, you can count on me to move forward with all my current ministry and projects, even if I have to sit with a laptop in the library.
It sprang us rather suddenly last week. My son asked us if we would consider merging our financial resources to buy a house big enough for all of us to share. Not a mobile home, like the last time, but a regular house. We have no illusion about how challenging it will be, but the alternatives for all of us are far worse. Pray with us; here are the concerns we see:
1. Short time frame. Our lease comes up in August. Their situation may be even shorter.
2. Financing, of course. It's one thing to have enough income for the payments, but there are more costs before you even make that first payment. In our favor is that my VA home loan privileges still cover us for a decent amount in our local market.
3. Location. My daughter-in-law is pushing to stay in their current school district (Choctaw, OK). My wife needs to stay near her employer, the Mid-Del School District. While those two are adjacent, it does limit our choices trying to stay close to that shared boundary.
4. Size. It has to be big enough to accommodate all of us, and four cars, etc. The honest truth is that I'm willing to do without a computer office, but not my server. There are too many reasons both families need computers for different work purposes, so four bedrooms is the minimum, and five is a lot better. They have three daughters, and one is a teen.
Regardless, you can count on me to move forward with all my current ministry and projects, even if I have to sit with a laptop in the library.