Dream House or Nightmare

One day a dear friend recommended that I read a book called the Total Money Makeover. I was engaged to my husband at the time and we had just made a really stupid purchase. I won't go into details, because it is really just too embarrassing to remember.
After we read that book, we had some serious talks about how we wanted to manage our money. We worked really hard and paid off all of our debt before our one year anniversary.
Since then we have been stuck on baby step three. The 3-6 month emergency fund.
Here's the short story.
We had it. We got an expensive apartment. We lost it. We moved to a cheaper place. We got it!

We thank the Lord for his provision and trust that He will take care of us. Lately, we have been praying for a house and that God will lead us to the house he wants us to have. Sometimes our wants get in the way of that. Like this past weekend.

We found this house. We loved it. The neighborhood was nice. It was a good distance from work and church. There was a big deck and a nice back yard that was flat. Benjamin loved running through the house. I could really picture our family there, until we went back for a second look.

We took a friend who was more knowledgeable about houses and structural aspects so he could give us a good idea of what would need to be repaired. We also took David's parents to give us their advice as well. It was a foreclosure, so we knew that there would be work involved. After walking through the house with them, we had a good idea of the repairs necessary to get the house in good condition.

I knew when we left that night that this was not a good idea for us, but I really wanted it so in my brain I was trying to make it work. We prayed about it and talked about making an offer and then David said, "I feel like Dave Ramsey is screaming at me." We want to be wise stewards of our finances and this would not have been a wise decision. Although the realtor was disappointed in our decision, we walked away.

I am thankful for my friend who told me to read the book. I am thankful for Dave Ramsey for yelling about managing money the right way. I am thankful for a husband who is willing to put his wants aside and make the right decision. I am thankful for the promise that God will provide.