The Oasis, for a Time

I was so excited to be officially moving!  The terms were arranged and the closing date was set for June 1st.  I headed back on Preparation Day, with even more than Sabbath for which to prepare.  The downside was, we owned four pieces of property that needed to be sold and had owner financed two others.  So, as well as packing to move, there was some serious real estate that needed to move as well.  Although, I now refer to it as the down side, it really wasn't at the time, it was just a matter of seeing what YHWH had planned for tying up the loose ends.  I did need to start packing, though!

I have to admit, I was still wondering if my husband was staying or going, as every time the packing began, he just disappeared to one of the other properties.  The realtors were very quiet, as in very few enquiries.  The month was moving right along, as I was preparing for the deal.  With a holiday at the end of the month, I was so glad to have the extra day . . . then the realtor called.  By the enthusiasm in her voice, I knew whatever the news would be a new hurdle in my progress.  Sure enough, 'she knew how excited we were to close this deal, so she'd taken the opportunity to move it up a day.'  Don't you just love it when people who are clueless make decisions for everyone?  Whoops, that sounds like Congress!

I hadn't told anyone but the realtors with the listings of my plans.  Before leaving for this trek, I'd heard from YHWH that a family member had a problem that was about to be made known, so I hadn't mentioned anything to anyone about this new adventure.  I just kept my nose to the grindstone as there was a lot to get done, by the end of the month.

With the extra day no longer on the table, that meant, YHWH's plan was unfolding differently than I expected.  It was easy to just accept the changes as being truly part of the plan!  With that, I continued on in determining what I'd keep, what I'd sell, and what I'd give away.  All in all, when it was all said and done, one box of books was never accounted for.

There were two CDs that matured toward the end of the month and I knew it would take the hand of YHWH to have that cash without penalty and be at the other end of the state with a Cashier's Check in hand, by early afternoon, the last day of May.  I'm not one to talk about money as blessing very often, but this truly was the hand of YHWH.   The date of maturity on one CD ended up falling on Shabbat, before the Monday holiday, which would have left all the financial arrangements to begin Tuesday morning after 9, with a closing at time of 2:30, over 225 miles away.  I'll admit that made me just a tad nervous for a minute.  Then I set the "fear" aside and asked YHWH what He wanted me to do.  So simple.  He reminded me that the banking day changed at 2 in the afternoon, call and ask if it would be possible . . .

Well, of course, was the response and she wanted to hear all about the big move!  They'd see me Friday afternoon.  Following that conversation, the phone rang.  The realtor wanted to show the properties, all of them.

The Second Contract

As the realtor droned on in my ear about why I had to do all of my real estate transactions through her, I thought of the old Charlie Brown specials when I was a kid.  Remember when the comic strip came to television specials and the adult's voices were a metallic "wha wha . . .wha wha wha wha ?"  That's exactly how she sounded, until . . .

She said, the realtor that knew what she was doing, well that's my description, she simply said the agent from the other office had called and contacted her people.  She was expecting a call from her at any time we could come back to her office and wait.  As tempting as her offer was, I'd have preferred a root canal while waiting, so I told her my husband wanted to look at the place again and asked her politely to please call me when she'd heard from the other realtor.

We went on toward Fairview and I just couldn't understand how he couldn't see the barrenness.  It was only early May and there were already irrigation rigs in the fields.  If there is a little desert in Missouri, it's outside of Newtonia between Stark City and Fairview.  As he drove toward this place, I pointed out that the city limit sign indicated this place was actually in the city limits.  His response was something to the effect of being able to live in a town that was like living in the country . . . best of both worlds sort of statement.  I have to admit, I was certainly seeing it as the worst of both worlds.

I then asked if we could go look at the other place while we waited for the phone call.  He was cordially agreeable.  Before we got there, however; the phone rang.  It was the realtor to which we were legally bound, and it felt like bondage!  She said she'd heard from everyone and would like to discuss our options.

We headed straight to her office, foregoing the run back to the place of the vision.  We entered her office and she began immediately to address the place my husband had chosen.  It truly felt like my brain was bouncing off of the walls of my skull.  I could not believe that even after phone calls, and the other realtor, those facts appeared to be irrelevant.  She proceeded to tell my husband, since the people had just reduced their asking price, she felt they would find an offer of a couple more thousand, acceptable.

I then asked if she'd heard from the other realtor.  She said she had and if we chose to pursue that, she could draw up a contract and the other realtor would take care of renewing the listing.  I knew better than to even ask my question aloud, but "What are we waiting for?" completely reverberated in my head.  I then looked at my husband, and he was just staring.  I presented a simple idea.  We could offer the same amount to these other people.  The realtor immediately reminded me that their asking price was several thousand dollars more and they had allowed their contract to expire, whereas the first contract people were seriously looking to sell.

My thought was, if they were seriously trying to sell, they'd have accepted our cash offer.  That's right, I forgot to mention, we were dealing in cash with this deal, so that meant minimal paperwork for everyone involved would have money in their pocket instantly.  No waiting for loan approval, no sixty day credit checks, no nothing.  It would all be a done deal as soon as the Title Company could process the deed, and set the date.

I smiled at her in what was I'm sure a rather icy dismissive expression and looked at my husband.  I, repeated my suggestion and awaited his response.  There was some attempt at discussion and "what ifs."  My response was simple.  If they don't accept it, we're out nothing and we can then, consider the next move.  With that, the realtor began a new contract and my husband quit thinking up potential problems.  The only change was the address of the property.  Everything else stood as it was on the first contract.  We signed the new contract offer, I didn't even have to write a new check, and got up to leave.

She said, if she heard back before 7 that evening, she'd call us.  I smiled at her and said, she would.  With that we left.  My husband asked if I was ready to go back to the room and wait for the call, but I suggested we go ahead and go look at the place as planned before the call came in.  That was agreeable and we headed out Old Scenic Drive.  Once, outside of town, Old Scenic Drive followed the path of Shoal Creek.  The road was lined with trees, their leaves lush and green from being watered by the creek and I thought of the Scriptures that mention trees planted by streams.

It could not have been more dramatic.  As we rounded the curve right before the drive, the phone rang.  It was the realtor.  The people had accepted our offer!  As we turned into the drive way, this was no longer a real estate listing, this was home.  

                                                                                photo is the finest well house in Newton County
                                                                                                         

The Offer

Just like the first time the urge to jump out, hit me, I ignored it and remained in the moving vehicle.  As I attempted to tune out her religious/real estate advice and her rendition of man and wife, I continued to earnestly listen in my heart.  What I heard was wonderful.  I heard, "This battle is not yours . . ."  With that, my mind stopped racing toward a bad direction.  I can't say I was filled with shalom, but I was definitely aware that there was no confusion in my spirit.

I already knew, I had no argument that was convincing.  The larger piece of land was already fenced and the asking price had been reduced.  The asking price was nearly 20% less than the place I believed I was led to.  So, I sat there as the real estate agent and my spouse drew up the contract.  I did get tickled when my husband raised the question about the crops already in the ground on the place.  The garden was maybe 20 X 30, and there was probably a 25 pound onion crop in the ground, with potatoes and green beans coming up as well.  I think I maintained my "poker face" as I considered this even being mentioned.  That seemed like a potential point of contention that may just cause a negative response.  I was then asked to sign and make out an "earnest money" check.  Oh, I cannot tell you how hard that was.  I still remember all the details of that check!  Trusting YHWH was not the difficulty.   Not getting angry at the two people in the room, that my prayers would be hindered; was my problem.

So, with that being done, we got up to leave, I left a card.  She looked at my card, saw the Star of David with a cross.  With my check in her hand, she was now quite concerned about my salvation.  I'd mentioned being in ministry, had specifically asked about internet access, as that was a large portion of my ministry, and now she had concerns about my eternal soul.  When I started to speak, she "dismissed me" and said she'd be in touch when she heard back from the people.

We went to get some lunch and it wasn't long before the phone rang.  The people had returned the contract with a resounding, "NO."  No counter offer, no nothing, just NO!"  My heart leapt for joy!  Then my husband suggested we go back out and see the place again, before we raise the offer.  I could not believe my ears!  With that, I was done, completely finished with any hope of discussion.  It was very clear that everything I had said about the vision before leaving, and the conversation we had on the way, had meant absolutely nothing to him.  Out to Fairview, we headed again.  I truly believed the vision I had seen was from YHWH, but as always in dealing with that man, I struggled against the seed of doubt trying to plant itself in my spirit.  The words, "Oh, Adonai" escaped my lips.  Between the realtor and the husband, I felt invisible and mute; but my Heavenly Father saw me and my Shepherd Y'hshuwah heard my cry.

It was then, that I clearly heard in my spirit, "Say, Can we call the other realtor and just ask what she thinks the other people's bottom dollar is?"  My spouse's response was simple.  He reminded me that the asking price on the other place was 20% more than the asking price on the place he wanted, and we'd already been turned down.  I took that as, no response to my direct question at all, so I asked again.  He always got disgusted with me when I refused to go on a tangent of his non-answer.  The second time, I got an answer.  "Go ahead and call her."  It was one of those "moments" in that, her office phone number just truly did come to mind.  HalleluYah!  She was very informative, in that she could do nothing.  We were legally bound to the realtor that drew up the contract.  She did say, she'd call her people, though; and mention there had been an enquiry.

Less than ten minutes had passed when the first realtor called me.  She said she'd heard from the other realtor about my call and proceeded to explain to me that she was our buying agent in the area.  I can honestly say, without the presence of YHWH in my life, she would have heard quite an earful, as I sped out of her selling area . . .                                                                    

Help On the Way

The realtor from the listing agency arrived and she was a delight!  She got the door open, knew her stuff and let me look around.  Of course, I already knew this was the place.  It matched the vision, perfectly, well not perfectly, it had even more great details!  Clearly the well and the peach tree(s) were deal makers.  I asked what "Neosho" meant.  It is a Native American term meaning, "place of springs."  The mission I had facilitated in town was "Living Water."

I had mentioned earlier in this account that I knew there was some sort of special issue with the listing or the availability, but I hadn't known what.  So, the realtor I was now stuck with dealing with, not the good one that could actually open the door and answer the questions, but the one that was now legally my sales agent said we'd have to do the paperwork in the morning, but the other agent would let the sellers know, an offer was on the way.  A new contract would be required with the sellers, before an offer to buy could be made, and the not so amazing realtor did not choose to disclose at that time, that she had to get to her real job at Wal-Mart.

Now, here's where this princess gets a little misty and well embarrassed.  I was still not sure if I was going to be moving alone or salvaging a marriage.  As it turned out, neither, but those details are on my secret blog.  Now, back to the waiting.  Went to the Booneslick Lodge to await the morning meeting.  Much to my surprise the next morning, if apt is the opposite of inapt, the less than apt realtor called with another place to show "us."  My undecided partner in civil wedlock was ready to go see the new place.  He said he had "wrestled" all night over that property we had been shown and that was the one, then in a five minute phone call, my world went topsy turvy again.  My heart just sank, but as a dutiful, trying to be submissive wife, I went along, quietly.  I kept in mind, it isn't my world and I prayed, mostly silently, but I prayed.  To be honest, if I'd have said much, I'd have been in tears.

So, out to Fairview we went.  I sat in the back seat as the two of them discuss this place we were heading.  We got there and immediately the term barren came to mind.  There was slightly more land, and it was fenced, but there was no well and no fruit trees, and no fireplace, which I pointed out.  There was a small garden though, that ended up being an issue in the offer, and I chuckle to myself, all these years later as I recollect that day.  So as we looked at it all and got back in her car to head to the office, I suggested we go back to the other place, which she did.  That was the only statement I made in her car and after leaving there, asked only one question.

As we pulled out of the drive to head to town, my question to my spouse was, "You really like that place, don't you?"  After hearing my description of the vision two days prior, he had the audacity to tell me, he liked the other place better and was ready to make an offer.  I had the overwhelming urge to just jump out of the back seat of that car!  That's the second time I'd had that feeling where he was concerned . . . And so I prayed.  I prayed hard!  That's when I found out, our realtor was also a church lady.
                                                                                                           to be continued . . .

The Plan Went South

Upon leaving Peculiar, we went through Harrisonville to Nevada, where I made a couple of calls to realtors, answering machines, but no return calls.  We made Joplin by evening, checked into a micro-tel and of all things, it had a 24 hour local real estate channel!  I had no idea such a thing even existed!

The following morning I called a realtor who was a "former California guy" now well into middle age, "sort of" working at selling real estate in the Ozarks.  It was a most inefficient and unproductive few hours.  So, after quality time with "jamminjim," the e-mail address on his business card, I headed on down 71 highway to the next major exit, Neosho.

We pulled into the very first real estate office I saw, and a very pushy, very new to the business realtor was ready to sell me half the town . . . She spoke of this and spoke of that and mentioned this and mentioned that.  Now, I do have to admit, I had done a bit of searching on realtor.com after seeing the pillar of fire, so I was already aware that what she was pushing did not fit the description of what I'd seen in the vision the morning before.  Nothing on realtor.com had fit that description, either.  No matter how many times I described the simple facts, I knew, she appeared oblivious or unhearing.  I knew if it wasn't available, I wasn't supposed to seek it, as in coveting, but I still knew it wasn't a regular "on the market" situation.  I had no idea how to go about finding "for sale by owner" in a town in which I wasn't familiar.  Then suddenly, her light came on.

There was a property that had run the end of the contract without selling and the couple had not renewed the contract with the listing broker.  Are you ready, "jamminjim" worked for the company that had listed it, over 6 months prior, and he never even mentioned it.  Suddenly pieces were falling into place.  It was a small acreage with a well and a white house.  I didn't push her for fruit tree details, we simply got in her car and headed out Old Scenic Drive!

Not only did I see the long white home, I saw the most amazing wellhouse I'd ever seen.  In front of the house was not one, but two peach trees!  Aside the driveway sat the a pair of blue birds and it couldn't have been any clearer if the sky had opened up to drop banners and confetti!  This was the place YHWH had brought me to.  Now, to just determine how to buy something that was abandoned and no longer for sale.  The problem was, no contract and this new realtor wasn't going to put out any effort in the possibility of not getting her commission.  An immediate difficulty opened the door to the solution.  This realtor couldn't operate the lock box, and had to call the listing realtor who just happened to be with the same company as  jamminjim.                     . . . to be continued

An Afternoon With Abba

I know many of my blogs and articles pertain to homesteading.  I really didn't know what I was doing had a trendy name at all until just last year.  Of course, it's not out of the ordinary for me to just be doing what I'm doing and if someone asks, 'What do you call what you're doing?'  I have no trouble at all saying, "I just don't know!"

I get to truly be myself with no one to critique my interests, abilities, or attention span, and I love it.  Today I got to do one of my favorite things.  I got to spend the afternoon in the garden getting dirty!  Not mud puddle dirty, just working and hoeing and planting a bit more; simply enjoying the good, clean dirt!  Of course, I spend my garden time barefoot usually, have my hands in the soil, and thank my Heavenly Father for letting me live in the Land of Goshen.  I am very aware of the significance of a garden.

Humanity was created to tend the garden, the fall of man occurred in the garden, and Y'hshuwah prayed in the garden before he was arrested in that same garden.  I see a very critical connection, and I am so thankful to be redeemed back to the garden.  I'm not trying to sound all pantheistic or "new agey" here, it is a blessed privilege that the Creator of the Universe has allowed me and called me back to the garden.  This whole "go to heaven when you die" schpeel is really not what speaks to me at all.  Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to everlasting life in the presence of YHWH and Y'hshuwah, but my everlasting life has already started.  Everlasting has a start day and that was the day I repented and began to follow Messiah.  He didn't bring me to the garden right away, but I was told to get ready.  For what, I didn't know!  Nearly a decade ago, I saw a pillar of fire and knew that was the direction I'd be heading when He said "move."  Through the week of Unleavened Bread that year, I had a vision that clearly showed the destination, but no address of course.

I called a realtor, had the for sale sign in the yard by afternoon and set out, not knowing where I was going.  My first stop proved unfruitful, and so I continued on, south by southeast.  The road was great, and the trip was already an adventure.  I made a couple of other stops to see what was available, but nothing connected with that vision I'd been shown or the specifics of the Instructions.

My specific details were this.  I had already heard very early in ministry that at some point I would be led to buy land with a well.  The pillar of fire had been south by southeast, just barely east of due south.  The vision shown to me was a long white building, a peach tree, a well and an overgrown landscape.

The next sign I saw on the highway was on that named, Peculiar, as the next exit.  I immediately thought of I Peter 2:9 and that sounded like the destination for this princess.  After all, I am a "peculiar people" . . . but, alas, nothing aligned with what I'd been told and shown.  As I looked at what was available, there was one more thing revealed that I didn't understand at that time.  Wanting something that wasn't offered for sale was coveting, there would be no "name it and claim it" in this deal, and yet there would also be something out of the ordinary in it's availability, so I naturally began to ponder that.  I'm so glad I didn't try to connect my human dots and miss the actual Plan.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 
                                                                                                           . . . to be continued

Breasts - G-d Made Them, Y' Know

This article is not addressing mastectomy due to cancer diagnosis, but rather the elective surgeries, that now also include mastectomy.

Breast augmentation was one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in the country, prior to the economic recession. Now, there is a new elective breast surgery, literally a double mastectomy in the case of the potential to develop breast cancer. Whether it's vanity or fear, women are feeling pressure to subject their bodies to be carved and mutilated by choice. I'm not suggesting there is a correlation to the promotion of this latest fear based surgery and the reduction of augmentation surgeries, but then again, Angelina Jolie must be aware that some of her decisions become a trend. I know a surprising number of people with children and grandchildren named Maddox . . .

When I worked at a fitness center, the woman who owned the place was discussing the needs of the clients with me and she made the comment. "After all these years working in fitness, there are exercises to tone and change everything except breasts. Breasts only come in two sizes, too large and too small." We live in a society that is nearly breast obsessed, and now with the focus on a genetic predisposition to cancer, women are choosing even more elective surgery than before.

First just a note of logic here. G-d gave women breasts for a reason, well according to the link below, several reasons, but to use them to feel inferior or fearful were not included in the reasons. We have been given the bodies we've been given and the differences that are within our control is weight to a certain degree and exercise. The shape really stays basically the same, just larger or smaller and more or less defined. My healthy weight is not a size 4. I had to literally abuse myself in every way I could find to maintain a size 4, and my breasts were still in the same proportion to my body they are now that I'm not a size 4.

Elective surgery is an unhealthy, life altering decision. By definition, the term "elective" means unnecessary. Elective surgeries are saying one of two things, either G-d didn't do it right to begin with, or He can't be trusted with future uncertainties. To have something removed because it might develop a problem is not really a sound decision. We don't see men having preemptive prostate surgery. "They" say there are genetic factors to the risk of Alzheimer's, but surely no one would consider preemptive brain surgery! Our society has for too long considered female parts to be expendable and the female body subject to alterations.

Whether it's fear or vanity, many women are electing to go under the knife, and I do mean electing, because we seem to forget in all the discussion and focus, that we should elect to be satisfied with the body G-d gave us, take care of it, and realize our physical days are numbered.

7 Things to Know About Breasts