Discouragement is settling in....

Its been an exhausting week- and we are feeling discouraged. Very discouraged! We've been blessed with making some wonderful connections in Chicago. We were hopeful to begin with - and eager to see where the Lord was taking us. But we are not finding the house for the price that will meet our needs, or one that has the space that we feel will fill our requirements. In making pros/ cons lists- it is really difficult to decide which side of the list things should fall on when looking at prospective homes.


For each home, we must consider:

Michael's train ride time vs space inside the home
price of the rental vs the need for storage
outdoor play space for a 3 year old vs indoor play space during those colder wintery days
distance to the nearest train station vs living in the "right" area of town

Our Realtor is patient- but we can hear it in her voice that she has exhausted the options. We are praying for God to make available the perfect home, but are discouraged in wondering if the perfect home is available already and we are stubborn to recognize the blessings right in front of us. We've looked north to south and all in between and are so concerned in making the right choice for the town, community, neighborhood, and even church.

And the costs keep mounting (and the funds dwindling). Many of you may not know, but because of how the economy has changed, Michael is not provided with any form of relocation compensation. Jobs are so scarce, and potential employees are so plentiful, companies do not need to offer relocation packages in order to recruit quality employees. We knew this, and are trusting the Lord for these funds. Yet, all week we are getting surprised by mounting expenses that are out of the norm. Ah- more discouragement!

And then- we've just learned (one of those mounting costs) that our dear 13 year old cat, and fourth member of our family, has a hyper-thyroid that is seriously out of control. We've noted her increasing inability to keep her food down, and it has resulted to her getting sick when nothing was on her stomach. She has drastically lost weight- (she barely weighs 7 pounds when she should be closer to 13 - and those 6 lbs are huge in cat weight). She eats but with a hyper-thyroid, she can't put on or keep the weight. As we prepare to move, and boxes fill our home, and our schedules change, this adds stress to her. She thrives on consistency- and will have none for quite awhile. We've NEVER considered not taking her (some will understand, others won't) and truly want what's best for her throughout this process- but, yes- more discouragement.

We continue to scour the internet looking at where we are to live- which Chicago suburb is the right one to establish ourselves in. We know the house we are moving to is temporary- but we want the community to not be. We stress and fret over our finances - this wasn't in our annual budget! And our concern of the health of Goofy as we prepare to move is almost enough to break me. ALMOST

But- there are Biblical truths that we must cling to... verses that rattle through my head throughout the day.

Philippians 4:13 - I(We) can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

James 1:2-4 - Consider it all joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 8:28 - We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

So - we move forward. We keep looking. We diligently (and desperately) pack. And we prepare to make this ever difficult Step of Faith!