Beginning

So, the house is finally happening!  It's been a dream for quite some time, and yesterday, two days earlier than expected, the digger came!  In the morning I ran to the store for birthday supplies, returned and noticed the permit posted by the water hydrant.
I was elated, posted a pic, and later in the day was minding my own business with laundry and such, when I was taken by surprise.  Yes indeed, it was true!  A bright yellow digger was outside, scooping dirt and popping stumps from our land.  As it turns out, the excavator is doing a job nearby and is saving money by bringing the fill to us!  He saves, we save!  Good deal all around; only God can work something like this out!  Sounds kinda supernatural to me. (Hmmm...)

Let me back up...  Three years ago, when we first returned from Thailand, we had no intention of building a house.  But as time went on and we realized we don't, nor will we ever, fit a typical Franklin County mold.  We can't ever settle down into mediocrity, becoming comfortable with doing things as they've always been done just because they have been.  We knew God was putting a dream in our heart to live from a different place... to be completely real, fully us, from the inside out.  Thailand changed us, to say the least.  Or rather, God used Thailand to change us, and who we've become will always be a part of us.  We are different, we know this now, and we're really happy about it!  Our house is only part of what God's building in us, though it will be a beautiful expression of who our family is.

Realizing we had the desire to build a house got us questioning... Why?  What will it be for?  How will we live in it?  The answers to these questions are a grounding place for our family, a foundation of sorts, to build on and grow from.  In days to come, the fruit of our labors will shelter us and continually expand to welcome others in.  We had hopes of beginning the process earlier, but we understand God had a better idea, in Levi's words, "to build our family first."  Know this, we understand that if we build a shell, but have nothing of value to fill it with, there would be no point for the walls to be built.  Without the goodness inside, there would be nothing to protect and fight for.  Pure love is worth the struggle.  We are ready to begin, together.