Mental Checklist

It's not for everyone. But it is for me.

It's good to make lists. It keeps you on track. It reminds you, as you continue ripping and adhering miles of blue painters' tape on the walls that there is a beginning and an end to this task, too. And it will be here before I know it. So it's good to keep perspective and know what is, what was, and what is left to be.

Amen.

OK.

The List:

• paint
• pack
• pretty

Got it?

Got it.

And in between, dog, laundry, eat, sleep. In that order, actually.

We have a solid interest in our dog Luke. From a woman whose dog of 9 years passed away and left a void in her life. She is single, has a privacy-fenced back yard, and lives next to a park. She believes Luke is the dog she has been waiting for. I'd like to think she's right. Perhaps we were not meant to be his forever family, but instead he came to us at a time we needed to heal from Riley and now Auntie Ellen is ready for him. (No, she isn't really related to us.)

Which brings me back to the day I drove up 270 on my way to a house Hubs and I called, "The Blossom." It was the dream house. But so not the right house for us. Maybe in about 30 years. But as I drove west to drool over it again, JT called and encouraged me to look at the house we eventually called, "The Heritage." As the story goes, I prayed as I drove, asking God to find us a house.

"I already have."

What? What was that? Who was that? God? Is that You? You already have?! What does that mean?? Does that mean the house we're already in? Does that mean the house I'm about to see? What does it mean???

I slowly began to realize He meant this house. Because doors kept getting closed. Over. And over. And over. And, seriously over again. I truly began to believe that this house was meant to be ours forever and ever. Amen. (again.) And I would go along with Hubs and look at another house and fall in love with it and desire it and try to buy it and it always fell through. For one reason or another. It didn't really matter. They just always fell through.

And I reminded myself, "He already has."

Tonite, as I ponder the events of my house hunting life, I see, yet again, how He weaves. Perhaps, as our pastor said recently, He doesn't actually have a plan - except to prosper us - taking us to Heaven in His time - but His hand is still in the mix. He's pulling and kneading that dough to make the best bread, perhaps one could say.

Because two posts ago, I wrote that the perfect house does not exist. And yet - and I say this with utmost sincerity, the house we are going for this time - is perfect. The neighborhood is perfect. The schools are equivalent to what we have now, so in and of itself, that is perfect. And things are falling into place. (Did I just say that again?)

I spent 40 days cleaning the hidden areas of my house. Who does that? Someone God told a few years ago that she had to get this house in order {mental and physical} before He could get her another one.

I placed an ad for the dog after months of vascillating on what to do with him - and a near-perfect, at this time, situation arises for him.

I have a list of 3 things to do to ready this house. Will it take time? Absolutely. Can we have the house on the market by mid-week next week? I'm certainly trying.

We have a reasonable bid in on a house that is countering within our price range, so all that is left is to tweek and accept. And that house is perfect. Five requirements. All five met.

God is good. All the time.

{Check.}