BLESSINGS ABOUNDED IN HUNTSVILLE

Richard and I were so blessed to be a part of Chip's move into his first "owned" home. As a college student, seminary student, and first years as a youth pastor, he lived in dorms, apartments, and rental houses. As his friend and realtor Tommy told him on Monday, January 12, after the closing on the house: "Chip, welcome to the American dream..... you are now in debt!!!"

Chip invited his dad and me up to attend the closing with him, go shopping for furniture, and to help him move in. We had a blast!!!!!!!!!!!! We arrive on Sunday evening in time to visit Chip's church and be blessed by Pastor Zach Terry's evening message.

On Monday, we met Chip at the church to go to the 11:00 a.m. closing with him. It was uneventful but such a blessing to see that interest rate of 4.375 on those closing papers. What a blessing that he locked in that great rate. We took Chip and Tommy (Chip's realtor/friend) out for lunch as our way of thanking Tommy for working with Chip as he looked for a home to buy.

After lunch, we rode all over Huntsville with Chip as he visited the various utilities to get the electricity, gas, and water changed from the rental to the new house in time for our move later in the week. Later in the afternoon, we went with Chip as he shopped for some new furniture for his new house. He was very blessed to run up on a good deal at a great store in buying furniture with no interest for 48 months!!! He picked out some very nice things which will be delivered next week, I believe. We were at the furniture store until about 10:00 p.m. and boy were Richard and I tired by that time. We were thankful for the comfy recliners we claimed as Chip shopped and bought his furniture.

On Tuesday, Chip went to work at the church and we went to work in the rental packing up for the move. It went fast for the planned move on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the coldest air of the season was poised to move into the area. Chip was very wise and lined up some of his teen and college students and a couple of dads to come over after church on Wednesday night to load up the truck and move the stuff to the new house. That went great and we were moved in by 10:00 p.m!!! What a nice treat to move in a day ahead of time and to beat the COLD wind and temps that were moving in. We slept on our new mattresses and found the house to be very warm and comfy.

On Thursday, Chip went on to work and we went over to the rental to clean it up. Being a little 4-room house, that wasn't a very big chore and we were done in a couple of hours. Chip's landlord there is a dear man and his wife in the church. They were so good to Chip and we so much appreciate Bro. Dwayne and Jackie for their generosity toward Chip. One special blessing they were the benefactors of: Chip had a clothes dryer but didn't have his own washing machine as the rental had a washer there. Bro. Dwayne came over on Tuesday as Richard and I were packing up to check on how things were going. He asked us if that was Chip's washer and dryer. We explained that the dryer was Chip's (Dwayne's dryer was sitting over in a corner of the kitchen) but that the washing machine wasn't Chip's and that Chip would be buying one. Dwayne came back on Wednesday to tell Chip to take the washer with him. He didn't charge Chip a penny for that machine. WHAT A WONDERFUL BLESSING!!! I pray that God blesses Dwayne and Jackie abundantly for all they did for Chip.

The cold air flowed into Huntsville on Thursday and it was bitter cold on Thursday night. Richard had gone out during the evening to turn on the outside faucets to let them drip over night but no water came out!!!! Oh dear. It was in the single digits over-night and so all of the faucets in the house were dripping. We got up several times in the night to make sure everything was dripping. When we got up on Friday morning and as the sunshine came out, Richard waited until afternoon to go out and check on those outdoor faucets. (Chip was at work.) One faucet came right on and the water flowed. The other faucet still did not run. (I have to confess that I am a worry-wart (sin!) and my heart was sick.) Richard took my hairdryer out there and blew on it for several sessions. Later in the afternoon, when he turned on the faucet, the water flowed. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!

Chip was scheduled to preach at a youth retreat in Gatlinburg on Friday evening through Monday noon so he took off on Friday mid-morning for that event. We stayed at the house and did some more settling in, setting up, paint touch-ups, cleaning jobs, etc. We had a fun day working in Chip's house. Richard installed the surround-sound system that Chip had bought for the house. We were invited out to dinner at a wonderful Mexican restaurant by a dear couple in the church. We enjoyed getting to know Dan and Janice and their teen son who is in Chip's student group.

On Saturday, we worked most of the day and then were invited over to Tommy's and Terri's house for dinner. (They are great folks in Chip's church and Tommy was Chip's realtor.) Terri had prepared a delicious dinner and we enjoyed a 3-hour visit in their home.

On Sunday, we attended Chip's church for both services and took Dwayne and Jackie (Chip's former landlord) out to lunch. We enjoyed the fellowship with them and being able to express our thanks to them for all of the ways they were a special blessing to Chip for those 14 months he lived in their rental.

On Monday morning, January 19, we packed up and made our 6-hour trip back home. We were so very blessed to spend a week up there and enjoyed Chip's new home so very much. We saw blessing after blessing during the event and thank God for His blessings upon our son.