It's Like Christmas Eve around here

Tomorrow at 10:00am the Watsons are set to close on our first house.  I am both excited and a bit guarded about this.  You see, this is the 4th house we've taken a swing at and the previous 3 were disappointments.  We've been house hunting, honestly, for about a year.  

For the most part, we've been looking in the midtown area of Memphis.  It's where we have been living since arriving in Memphis and we really enjoy this part of the city.  The previous 3 heart breaks are all within just a few blocks of each other.  (Of course now that I write that, maybe that's been our problem!  Wrong area).  

The first house was owned by some new friends of ours who lived in Memphis for several years but were relocating outside the state.  They wanted the home to go to some community minded folks who would care for the house and and the neighbors.  We were very interested in the house and began saving pretty aggressively for the down payment.  A few months went by, and after a a week away in California Lisa and I returned ready to move forward with the purchase.  We arrived back in Memphis to discover the house had already been sold.  

The second house was and still is a beauty.  We'd been looking at it for several months, walked through it two or three times and really liked it.  Not perfect, but a fantastic house for some first timers like us.  We haggled, made an offer and began dreaming.  We picked out colors for the walls, got some bids to get the popcorn off the ceiling, and wondered how much a kitchen remodel might set us back.  Then, the day of the closing, our lawyer called us to tell us the deal was not going to happen.  The seller had not been paying her mortgage and the sale price we had agreed to would not cover her payoff and furthermore she didn't have the cash to cover the closing costs.  Nevertheless we tried to work with the seller, waiting to see if a short sale would be approved, but to no avail.  As of now, the house has slipped into foreclosure and we've moved on to other pastures.  

The third house was a beauty.  If you have an eye for potential.  It was a little rundown.  Ok, a lot run down, but a cute little victorian styled house, nearly 100 years old on a fantastic double lot with an awesome wrap around porch.  You had to overlook its lack of heating or A/C and not be intimidated by the amount of work required and look at the house a year down the road.  A gem for sure.  We walked through the house with two contractor friends who helped us dream, and helped us put a price tag on the dream.  And then put a time line on the dream.  So, armed with that, we began the negotiation.  A little back and forth, and by the time it was said and done, The seller wanted a little more than we were willing to give.  Its still on the market if anyone is interested.  

Which brings us to house number 4.  And to be honest, I'm a little hesitant to even blog about this in the event that this thing comes crashing down around us tomorrow.  But, undaunted, we have hope!  Dang it!  This is a cute 4 bedroom 2 bath bungalow style house.  Move in ready.  About 90 years old.  Hardwoods throughout, 2 stories.  Great decks in the back.  Coy Pond.  Detached garage with a detached office.  And we're dreaming again.  Colors, decoration and holiday parties.  

Its like Christmas Eve for the Watson's today.  Here's to hoping Santa brings us something good tomorrow.

Ancient Places

For the past two weeks I've been traveling in far away places.  Cities that are unlike any I have ever been.  Beautiful in its desolation and attractive in its repelling rugged contours I often found myself lost for words and even on more difficult days lost for thought.  

The country lies at an old crossway of history and religion.  A major stop along the ancient silk road, this place has been conquered by Alexander the Great and Ghengis Khan and has conquered the empires of Britain and Russia.  Many of its cities began with Hindu roots, became sacred Buddhist sites in a Muslim dominated country.  

I came here to meet with, encourage and offer consultation to saints that are engaged in good work; the best kind of relief, the deepest kind of development, the kind that touches economics, education, physical health and spiritual well being.  And I came to be reminded that even in a place that seems to grow only war and warriors good news can be shared and re-shared in subtle, honest ways.  In a place where life and what is called liberty is threatened at every turn and conversation it is still a place where the One who authors Life and promises plowshares for swords is Present and at work.  I need reminding of that.  And I need to remind others of that as well.  

And that's what I did.  I stood in a rock hewn silhouette of Buddha and looked out over a city that worships a prophet not my own and I prayed to the One who saves and asked Him to keep saving.  And the other saints there reminded me that He still does.

NaBloPoMo 2009

A few years back a great friend of mine, one of my best really, began encouraging me to blog.  He wanted to keep up with me during the dry spells when we weren't able to catch up by phone; he was and is living in Alaska and I was (and seem to still be) living in all parts of the urban world.  He also wanted to encourage me to write; which I enjoy doing but am incredibly undisciplined at doing.

I'm grateful for his encouragement.  Honestly, I really enjoy posting although you might find it hard to believe given the scant postings in the last few months.

My friend, we'll call him Rozey, because that's his nickname, stumbled into this little virtual gathering called NaBloPoMo.  NaBloPoMo is a set aside time of year, in November, wherein bloggers are prompted to blog each day for a solid month.  Sort of a bloggers Ramadan, if you will.  But without the fasting.  And no praying.  Unless you can't think of anything to write, then fasting or praying are certainly welcome.  Or drinking.  I find a glass of Merlot gets my blog juices flowing.

NaBloPoMo began on November 1st.  So, clearly I'm behind, but NaBloPoMo doesn't mind.  They'll take you whenever you come around.  And having an excused series of absences from the NaBloPoMo principal, I'm beginning my BloPoMo today, a little late, but with the Merlot on hand.

September

This year, September 22nd marked the changing of the seasons.  We passed from Summer to Autumn.  Intuitively I know that the seasons are changing, although I didn't know the exact date until a few days ago.  I just don't keep up with the autumnal equinox the way I once did.  Even still.  Days getting shorter, a few leaves turning, but the days are in the low 80's so I feel fall hasn't quite arrived.  But I know something's different.

And, given the September the 4 Watsons have had, I find myself wondering similarly.  Some hints of changing seasons.  

We began the month in Nicaragua.  Lisa and I flew down with some friends from Living Hope to visit with some friends at Samaritano.  A wonderful visit.  Full of life, hope, joy hints of God-inspired changing seasons despite the brokenness all around.  While there, we taught, played, preached, ate and shared communion.  All vivid reminders of the final season change to come.  

We ended the month by moving our things into storage and moving ourselves into the home of Greg Jackson, the Youth Ministry dynamo at Living Hope.  We're grateful for his generosity and hospitality.  We're still waiting to close on a house, which we pray will be soon.  

We've moved so many times and lived with folks on occasion that you'd think this pattern would get easier for us.  But it doesn't.  Not for me at least.  I'm too sentimental to move through a move or relocation without some sadness and wondering and celebration of time spent at a certain address.  

Our place on Avalon was our first stop in Memphis.  We found the place on craigslist and discovered on a house hunting trip to Memphis prior to moving here.  Pink House Queen, Beth Eckloff, was with us and so even that has a special significance to us.  Its where we brought Elias home to after his birth.  And where he learned to walk.  Several special moments and memories.  

But seasons change.  And now we find ourselves wondering what the next month, the next season will bring.  And we're glad we didn't pack our coats away in storage.

We're moving...sort of. But not where we want to.

For the past several months we've been house hunting.  For the most part its been a pleasant experience, but this last 3 weeks has been sort of like descending to the 3rd level of hades.  And, well friends we have arrived!

Just a quick review, our first choice of houses sold on us even before we were able to put an offer in.  We'd spent several weeks talking with the sellers, letting them know we're putting our down payment together.  They said they wanted to sell to us.  Then, next thing we knew it sold.  Disappointing for sure, but not the end of the world. 

Then we began looking around at other houses and posted a few of the options we were looking at.  We'd put an offer on one of the houses just over a month ago and were very excited.  There was a ton of hurdles to jump through as many of you know, but we were set to close on Thursday (yesterday).  As our friend and real estate lawyer was working hard to get things in order so we could close, he uncovered a problem.  The seller owed more than the selling price we'd agreed on and 'didn't realize' that was the case.  Unbelievable.  

How did this happen?  What recourse can we take?  Isn't that illegal?  Is seller mathematically challenged?  Is the agent a shyster?  These are questions we've asked and continue to ask, but at the end of the day, none of them get us into a house.  

We've served notice on our apartment and were set to move some this weekend and some next weekend.  Which is still the case, but we're not moving into a new house.  Instead, we're moving our things into storage and then, again, living with friends from our faith community.  Again, living on the hospitality of others while we sort out what God is doing, and what He's wanting us to do.  

So yesterday, we spent a lot of time on the phone with our lawyer, a lot of time talking and a lot of time praying - praying for our situation, for direction, for those that we feel have done us wrong.  And, honestly, doing some laughing.  Because, seriously, how many times will we have to find refuge on the couches of others?  

The upside of this is that some of you will have the amazing opportunity to host the fantastic Watsons 4!  Who wants to go first?