I've mentioned it a few times before, but we are looking/hoping to move this summer. There's a few reasons, but the biggest one boils down to the backyard. We have a small little rectangle of a yard...and three 80 pound dogs. Needless to say, we would love to have a huge yard for our pups and for babies down the road. We yearn for land and stretches of trees and green grass. We also want something that is a little more price friendly for me to be able to work less when there are babies in the picture. We have always said that we never want to be slaves to our house. We want to live within our means, not above them.
We have been blessed with a really beautiful house, though. It was new when we moved in and it has all of the "pretty" features, like granite counters and wood floors and walk in closets. This is where the hard part comes in. We are trying to UPsize our house size and land and DOWNsize our price. That basically means that the inside of the house is not going to be quite so...pinterest looking.
And I'm okay with that, most of the time. I know that pretty doesn't make up for things like fresh air and space. I would rather watch my pups be able to run around freely than have pretty floors. But there are some days when I'm looking through houses online and I find a house with the land/price that we want...and I see inside pictures...and I think oh gosh, that kitchen hasn't been updated in 100 years...and where would all my clothes go...and those floors sure would look prettier in dark wood. That's when my materialistic desires creep back in.
Lately I've been praying for the Lord to take those desires away from me. It's not about the actual final decision on a house, because we are committed to choosing space/land/price over prettiness. But I want to be satisfied and proud with where the Lord leads us to that is appropriate for us. By golly we didn't have granite counter tops growing up and I loved our house all the same. A few nights ago I asked the Lord to speak to me through His word and He led me to this verse, which I've heard before, but haven't spent much time praying over until recently.
There's my answer. Why obsess over treasures on Earth, when the only treasure that matters is in Heaven? I want the desires of my heart to be the Lord and His work.
Faith, family and friends...that is what really matters.
And hey, I'm by no means saying that we shouldn't have nice homes/things. Like I said above, it's just about living within our means (your means are different from our means) and ultimately ensuring that our life glorifies the Lord above all else.
Cue ending of the longest post ever. Happy weekend, y'all!
39 comments:
Thank you for posting on this. My husband and I bought a house in August and told ourselves we wouldn't go crazy. Then, we got caught up in the hullabaloo of decorating and house supplies, etc. Thank you for the reminder to be grateful for our current blessings and not to pine for more!
love this meg. happy weekend! xo
Love this! We did something similar when we bought our house. Actually, we bought our house before we were married, so it was just Ken. So if one of us loses our jobs, we won't lose the house. If only I could just pay off all of my debt from college ...
You could always move to PA - land is dirt cheap up here! ;)
Love this!! Praying God guides you to the perfect place. I think we make it harder on ourselves with things like blogs, pinterest & Facebook that we can compare what we have to what others have. I hate old funky tiled bathroom, and the kitchen's pink countertops (at least mine are light pink my sil's are hot pink ha!) but I do love where we live... just little compromises. Plus what you guys are doing is sooo financially responsible!
I know exactly what you are talking about. When we purchased our house, we didn't get the biggest one on the block or the prettiest on the block. We got the one that would ensure that we would not be house poor. I think in this day and age it is too easy to want to impress people but I have seen those same people go into debt because they decided to live above their means.
May God give us all wisdom.
And I always say, one day I will be able to have that big house I desire, God's Willing, but not right now :)
Have a great weekend!
Oh my goodness...so funny you posted this! My husband and I have been going through the same thing. Thank you for sharing. <3
Wow, this is exactly what I needed to hear. Got me tearing up. I just love the way you see life. You inspire me to be a better person and to put all my faith and trust into God, with each and every post you write.
We just bought a house and we've been caught up with decorating and fixing up everything. It's been so stressful, when it doesn't have to be. It's time to take a step back and really remind ourselves to be appreciative and grateful for what we have.
Megan this is a great post!
When Adam and I first got engaged and started talking about where we wanted to live, building/buying a new home was at the top of our list. But after researching and realizing we would be living pay check to pay check we decided to purchase an older home. After looking, making offers, offers falling through... I started to get... I guess you could say jealous... of my friends who were all building nice houses. So I prayed about it!
I then realized that all of that didn't matter!
We finally found our HOME! We were in love when we first looked at it! Plus it came with a small amount of land! I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Why I do dream of living in a Pinterest worthy home one day, I am very blessed! God is so good!
We know that we can't live in our starter home forever! Especially when we have babies! There is just not much room! But its perfect for us! And honestly I will miss it when we do build or move!
And not every house can be a home in my opinion! You have to have love and faith for it to be a home! And you and your husband definitely have that! =)
Sorry for the longest comment ever!
This is a wonderful reminder...I enjoy these posts so much, especially the long ones!
I'm working on a life list right now..you know the 101 in 1001 or 30 under 30 type lists? And It's hard because there are things that I'd like to do, own, experience, see, etc. But I don't want to get caught up in being so worldly...you know? I want to live a full life that reflects Him. So it's hard to boil away the worldly desires...even in simple situations like lists and granite counter tops.
great great post girl!
Well said lady. well said! xoxo
Perfectly said, Megan. Really can't add anything to it. :)
God is working in your heart, though (and you're sharing it)...that's the best part.
Isn't the book of Matthew the greatest?! It's one I re-read constantly. I consider it a like a "rule book" for life. I don't often use bible verses in conversation with others but everytime a friend comes to me with a problem (or I need help remembering certain things) I can always find the perfect verse in Matthew to guide me!
My finace and I are on the same house hunt, I really have to remember what's most important too, a safe, comfortable place, with just enough room for us and the dogs...it can be TOUGH!
Have a great weekend girl!!
Good post! I understand completely where you are coming from. Hope you have a great weekend! :)
Megan, we are literally in the EXACT same situation. I just wish I could progress as much as you have.
My husband and I are being relocated, and currently we live in a the most wonderful brand spankin new, greatest bang for your buck house. But now that we have to move.... I want ALL the same great things PLUS full grown trees and a big backyard, and away from so much traffic (right now getting out of our area is a beating due to the traffic) Ive been trying to accept the fact that this does not exist (not while staying in our current price range). Im stinkin sad over it and havent come to terms with it quite yet. I either a) have to get a much smaller house or b) have to get a much older house. Oh... and we are moving to a city where the houses cost WAY more.
Great post! It is so easy to get caught up in wanting the nicer things in life that you lose perspective of what's really important. Thanks for sharing :)
Older homes have wonderful charm too. Many have ornate details that you don't find in new houses. I live in an older home and while I don't have granite counter tops (and oh how I wish I did), I have a fireplace in my bedroom and exposed brick up the staircase. check out lots of houses and I bet you find one you fall in love with.
Awesome post. Every time the hubs tells me he wants to move becuase of something wrong with the house I tell him that moving isn't going to always solve the problem. Granted we need a bigger house soon but just because it's newer doesn't mean it's better! Good luck on your house hunt!
That is one of my favorite verses. When I read it, it's like a big slap in the face because I then come back to reality and know that I put to many thoughts and cares into worldly possessions. This is something that I pray about as well. I pray that God can fill me with a spirit of Grace and love and desire for Him instead of my desire for material things.
My husband and I are looking to move this summer too. And though our thoughts are similar, we currently live in an apartment and I have big dreams of my dream kitchen and walk in closets. Sometimes I have to really sit and think of what is really important. My husband is important. And really, anywhere that we live, as long as he is by my side, it will be home :)
I know I just commented... But I always leave you novel sized comments :) haha
This is awesome Megan! :) Your right those 3 things are the only 3 that matter!
xo
Have a wonderful weekend!
Nice post! And we've been dealing with issues like this also :). It's nice to know we're not alone!
i so get this. my husband has been looking for a new job for what seems like forever. he's blesses enough to have one but isn't satisfied with it. of course with looking for a new job we're hoping for more money. he hasn't had a call for an interview for the longest time. he showed me a job listing that had the same salary that he's making now. when we have kids, i don't want to have to work at all. it worried me that if he's making what he's making now when we want to have kids, how could we afford it? then i realized for a baby and a husband that does a job he enjoys i'd gladly give up my iphone and cable and whatever else it took because those are just things. a happy family is priceless. we talked about it and agreed that things are just things. then yesterday he got a call for an interview. it kind of makes you think. a long comment in response to a long post!
I am the same way when it comes to houses. In our area, you pay for location or you pay for house. My house is in the "location" part of town, so basically the house is crappy, haha. But, I would definitely make sure the bare bones are there - closet space, enough room, etc. - and everything else can come later - hardwood floors, upgraded kitchen, etc. I would love a fixer-upper (which I kind of have now, just one bigger than 900 square feet)!
You are such an inspiration :) I have the hardest time with this... I LIKE nice things. I don't like old, un-pretty things. But it IS extremely important to live with in our means, if not under, and to do that we have to sacrifice! And that's ok. Because part of the fun of having a home are the projects, right? We can always slowly upgrade!
This definitely spoke to me! Thank you so much! It's so easy (especially down here in the Delta with all these debutantes and old money) getting caught up with 'The Joneses' and I always have to keep reminding myself that we have different goals than others. I'd rather have a big savings for later in life than a 'nice thing' for a few months.
THIS was perfect for me to read today, (we are currently house hunting for a summer move tooooooo). I was just talking to a good friend about this very thing the other day. Being content. I think that's when you are happiest in life. When you aren't comparing and longing for something else to give you happiness. Who cares about granite counter tops, give me true joy any day:-) xoxo
I think this is a post that most of us can relate too. Not necessarily house wise but car, clothes, jewelry, etc. Have a great weekend!
This is exciting...I can't wait for you to move so I can help out :) You can definitely live within your means and still adore and design your home!
Another amazing post! I love it!
A super great post and something I struggle with regularly......Contentment
LOVE this post and love how my instagram bible study coincided with it today! ;) I struggle with "want" a lot. I LOVE to shop. We just made a budget today and I really need to get my act together. I neeed to control my wants for materialistic things...especially since we are on such a strict budget right now living solely on a resident's income.
Love that passage! We are just renting, but I didn't see the need to have the fanciest or newest rental. There are cosmetic issues in the house, but it's so worth not having to stress! I know you guys will find the perfect house for what y'all need :)
Fantastic post! It becomes soooo easy to want, want, want and buy what we don't need. I am trying to do better, putting family first. I am sure you will find a beautiful home, in your price range.
So proud of this post! Especially in the world of blogging, it's hard to let go of the "pinterest worthy" like we would all love to have. Sometimes there are greater things in a maybe not so great package. :)
I know the Lord is going to come through on this for y'all!
SUCH a good post! It is so important to live within your means. I love that you guys are sticking to that. We definitely have the big house with big yard, but not so Pinterest-looking, haha! We found a forclosure and DIY renovated it. Our house isn't the most beautiful or updated, but it is definitely ours and we love it for that. :)
One of my dreams is to buy an old house and remodel it from top to bottom... I wouldn't necessarily super old and falling apart but definitely an older home that needs to be updated haha
Have you ever read http://www.younghouselove.com/ - it's a blog by the sweetest young couple and they've actually done that, and with a budget! they're super inspirational and have great tutorials and how-to's!
as the wife of a certified financial adviser i have to say *bravo* to your way of thinking. as a follower of Christ i also applaud your values and mindset going into such a huge purchase. something to think about: if you purchase below your means and have the ability to double up on your mortgage payments monthly you can pay off a 30 year loan in under 8 years (unbelievable huh?) think of the money you can save by not paying interest. then in 8 years you can choose to be mortgage free or sell (hoping your home has increased in value) and put that money down on a larger home. even if you cannot double up try to make additional payments when you can and pay it off early. the lender doesn't always tell you these things because they make money off of the interest payments. happy home searching!
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