I have a guest blogger for you today, Elaine Stock, blogger at Everyone's Story whom I met at a writer's conference in St. Louis. She wrote about the American Dream of home ownership; see pic below for the unusual way she fulfilled hers.
If you like my blog, would you sign up to follow it? If you like hers, sign up, too!
Thanks a bunch! May your dreams come true!
If you like my blog, would you sign up to follow it? If you like hers, sign up, too!
Thanks a bunch! May your dreams come true!
My American Dream—And Why It’s Changing
by Elaine Stock
One month after
my husband and I first met we became engaged. Eight months later we wed. There
was no child-on-the-way to factor into the picture. Just love. But, we were
young, oh, so very young. In hindsight, I can now understand why older people thought we were silly to
ignore the obstacles of lack of firm finances, advancing in post-graduate
studies, or horrors: not having a house.
Everyone needs a
house. A beginning. A foundation.
The realtors
treated us as if we were synonymous with the word Joke, showing us the worst of
starter homes. The banks demanded proof that we can pay off debt—hard to do
when you’re too young to have any!
And we had a
piano restoration business. We needed room.
I refused to
give up.
Husband
suggested the old railroad station up the road. In rough shape, we could pay
cash for it and fix it up ourselves. I located an engineer to see about designing
an accommodating septic system for our unique land situation. We both battled
with the banks for a mortgage.
And we moved
into our “Station In Life.” Half home, half business. It has been a blessing,
this unusual living arrangement.
But, I now want
more. See, I still dream of the American
Home. I want an extra bedroom and a bath. I want a “real” kitchen. Not
much, right?
Just as we were
paying off the last of our mortgage, this envious American social and financial
climate began to implode. People with The
American Dream Job and The American
Dream Home lost these taken-for-granted-niceties. Or, they had to
“downsize.” Life has changed for many.
I still dream.
But my dreams have morphed. I now try my best to walk down the lane leading to
my front door, keeping my balance between satisfying my human longings,
remaining satisfied with what I have in life, and looking upward to what God
wants for me. I can only trust Him with my future.
Elaine lives and works in a former railway station in Upstate New York.
Thanks, Norma, for hosting me and giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteElaine, thanks for the lovely guest blog. I can feel the wistfulness, and the desire to be content.
DeleteElaine,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your post will touch a responsive chord in everyone who reads it, who has ever had a dream. It is our dreams that keep us going, hoping, striving, and holding onto our faith.
Like the patriachs of old, sometimes we have to wait for much longer that we had ever anticipated. But when they do come true, in God's timing, in His unique way, when He knows it is the right time, the achievement of that dream will be all the sweeter.
I have dreams of my own that I am still waiting to unfold like a flower, slowly, and sometimes, it seems, one petal at a time.
Blessings,
KB Schaller, Author
KB, thanks for visiting Norma's wonderful blog! And thanks for the encouragement. It seems that this year's life lesson/theme for me is: grasping a little better that although I may not fully understand His timing, I can surely count on it.
DeleteAnd here's another dream of mine: that we will one day meet face-to-face ♡
Wow, waiting patiently, yes, KB, you put your finger on what God has required of me, and of you, too, obviously. You wrote so poignantly about how we wait much longer than we ever expected we would have to. But God is good and makes the wait worthwhile.
DeleteNorma,
DeleteThanks for responding to my post. Waiting for the desires of our hearts is always difficult. I have to keep reminding myself that our timing is not God's timing. With Him, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day.
One thing is for sure, though: If God has it in His plan for us, we WILL get it, and it WILL be more wonderful than what we wished for.
Blessings,
KB Schaller
Hi, KB, God has brought marvelous things into my life, though it's been a long, intense wait. But as you say, I couldn't have conceived of some of the great things. I'm waiting now for a job to open up. Whew! You'd think I hadn't learned a thing about waiting!
DeleteKB, if you like my blog, would you sign up to follow it? Just click on "Join this Site" on the right.
Hi Again, Norma,
DeleteYes, indeed. I am more than pleased to follow your blog. Am in the process of writing 2 books simultaneously, though, so don't fail to jog my memory if needed once in a while.
I love what you are doing.
Blessings,
KB Schaller
Thank you for sharing part of your life, Elaine. Your home has personality and there's a lot to be said for that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy. And thanks for visiting :)
DeleteThanks for chiming in, Nancy! A home with personality is a blessing, it's so true.
DeleteI think a "unique" home is neat :-) But I understand, too. We live in a small (tiny!) cottage-style home - me and hubby and our 2 kids. Two bedrooms means the kids share one; we have a teenage daughter and young son. The sharing a room is getting old! Some days I dream of winning the lottery and buying a bigger house. One with a lot more land, too, to allow our business to expand. But I do love this cozy little home. If we had more rooms, we might never see each other. And as for our business - people are amazed at what we accomplish with so little land. If we had more, we'd need to hire help & maybe people would be underwhelmed with what we accomplish considering we have so much land. Small is good. But so are dreams :-)
ReplyDeleteTammy, I hear you on both sides of the "yellow brick road." Thanks for visiting!
DeleteDreams are good, I agree Tammy. Mine keep me moving in a good, healthy direction with lots of energy. I think they're God-given, written on our hearts.
DeleteGreat post, Elaine! I loved your story! And what a fun, unique home!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jennifer, host blogger Norma here. Thanks for your comment. Elaine did a great job, and it does look like a very unique home (whoops! Broke a rule! Strike that "very" before unique!).
DeleteJennifer, in light of many people losing their homes these past few years due to the tough economic times, or to natural disasters, or more recently on a local basis in a nearby city--the horror of arson, I do consider it a blessing.
DeleteThanks for visiting.
What an adorable house! And I don't mean, hey, Elaine, you should be grateful for what you have, because I know you are. But I have to say, it IS a unique, historical, and very cute house. :) I guess I'm envious of houses in general, living in a basement flat in London. We do have a little private garden, but we also hear our upstairs neighbor--a very nice man--walking from room to room, every step its own creak or groan. My husband and I often wonder if we'll have ourselves a real home one day, maybe a few acres. Yes, dreams are sweet and we all have them for good reason...to hope...to aspire...to work harder.
ReplyDeleteHi, Sara, Norma here, so great to hear from you in London. How did you weather the games? Will you go to the ACFW in Dallas this year?
DeleteYes, dreams are energizing. All the best to you in pursuit of yours!
Hi Sara--all the way from England Sara :)
DeleteI never thought of my home as adorable... you're adorable for saying that ♡ As a railroad station it was built in 1851. The tracks were taken up in 1953. Sadly, the place nearly fell apart until we bought it in 1985 and painfully--oh, I mean lovingly--restored it. But, whether basement flat or a cramped railroad station, home is home. Thank God!
Profound thoughts, Elaine. "Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things." - Joe Paterno.
ReplyDeleteBob
Bob, thanks for the encouragement! And thanks so much for visiting Norma's fascinating blog--a theme that touches all of us.
DeleteI think you are SMART to have a house that is unique! Not to mention that dream of the American home often turns to a nightmare money sucking leach. I do hope you get a bath someday. Bigger kitchen just means more stuff and then oh no you might have to entertain! Be careful what you hope for. :)
ReplyDeleteDiana
www.pencildancer.com
Okay, Diana, I had to re-read my segment wondering why you hoped I'd get a bath some day I probably should have said an extra bathroom... but I'm sure you understood :) God is good. With a self-emplyed husband, and then my less-than-glamourous job, we've been able to tread water instead of sinking, though at times it feels like the latter. Our humble home has certainly been keeping us humble. One perk: not a lot of housekeeping... which I'm allergic to, anyways.
DeleteWhat an amazing story. Thanks, Elaine. And that need for inner balance: so true. We still need to dream, to seek God's will, while remaining steady and satisfied with what we already have, even if it doesn't seem like much.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your openness.
Thanks for visiting today, Tessa. And thanks for your comments. To add onto the topic of balance, I wanted to share what I read in a devotional this morning: isn't it wonderful that unlike people, God doesn't value us on how big our home is, or any other measure of our humanly acquired wealth? A lot to ponder there!
DeleteSo true, God looks at our character, not how many square feet we pay a mortgage on. All that stuff is sinking sand. God is our rock. Too bad I'm 3,500 years too late for that to be original.
Delete