What an Exciting Time it is!

We have been looking at homes in Paris, TN since God confirmed the call to pastor at Jones Chapel Baptist Church. It's been both fun and frustrating. We've placed bids on two homes since and, for various reasons, God has closed both doors. Well, today we learned that the search must intensify because the home we are renting has just sold. That means we must move out in thirty days (by September 19).

In this whole process we can be sure of several things:

• God called us to Jones Chapel Baptist Church in Paris, TN.
• When He called us to Paris, we had no idea where we would live but God provided us a rental miraculously. (Reread our June 14 post "Answered Prayers" as a reminder.)
• We need another place to live by September 19.
• God has promised in Philippians 4:19 to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Numerous other truths from His Word apply here: Matthew 7:11 and Jeremiah 29:11 just to name a couple.

What we don't know:

• Is it the Lord's will for us to buy the home we need or to look for another rental for the time being? The answer to that determines whether we put all our efforts over the next several days looking at homes for sale or homes for rent.
• Based on two homes we saw for sale today, we could be very happy with either one. One is on the west side of Paris in an agricultural area, closer to Paris' business district but farther from Nicole's school. If we bought this home, we would continue to drive Nicole back and forth to our ideal school for 6th-8th grades, and then after that she would be bused into the city for 9th-12th grades. The other home is on the northeast side of Paris in the Kentucky Lake area. This home is actually in Nicole's school district (so no driving to school would be necessary) but it's farther from Paris' business district. Both homes are just about equal distance from the church, about 15 minutes away--just in opposite directions. Should we put an offer on one of these (and if so, which one) or continue looking? Or is this discussion futile because God's best home (and location) is yet to come?

Jane's Grandma Freda used to say in times like this, "Won't it be exciting to see what God will do?!" This is the perspective we desire to have. It demonstrates our faith in our trustworthy God who IS more than able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). We just have to fight the urge to fall back to worry (which, in its base form, is really doubt). Would you join us in fervent prayer about this issue?

Won't it be exciting for us all to see what God will do? Thank you for your prayers!