Wow God.

Those are the first words that come to my mind when I reflect on these past 8 months. It’s hard to believe that 8 months ago THE121 made her harrowing journey to Teaberry Acres.

I’ve been off the grid literally and figuratively as God has had other plans for me since January. January my health took a turn backwards. And while it feels like a major setback it has actually propelled me forward mentally and Spiritually which is something only God can do!

Thankfully other than my health journey life at THE121 has been relatively quiet!

So tonight as the weather was 78 degrees, Maggie Marie and I took some time to enjoy Teaberry Acres while laying in the hammock. I reflected on all that God has done in the past year since we were last in the hammock. It was an ONLY GOD sort of time!

I’m also super happy to report that the Teaberries are back! While I was hanging laundry over the weekend, I looked down and what did I see… the first Teaberry of the season… it was a vivid reminder of His continuous provisions.

His grace is abundant. Pray for healing.

I realized that I haven’t updated on the water situation at THE121.

Shortly after my post on Sunday, my friend called and notified me that he was heading over to check on the situation again. I was already on my way to church and asked if he needed me to stay home, he assured me that he didn’t need me.

There’s beauty in surrender. I worshipped freely resting in my God who controls all things. When it was time for the sermon, the title popped up…Trusting God… I laughed out loud! And I’m pretty sure a few heads turned my way… YOU can listen to the sermon Here (and I HIGHLY recommend you do!) but suffice it to say, God was speaking to me! My take away was this …

Did I know when I left church if my situation was going to be different? No. But what I could do was change my perspective.

I chose to be grateful for the army of friends who offered to help. I chose to be grateful the Lord revealed some major idols in my life. I chose to be grateful the Lord taught me further dependency on Him. Were there tears? Absolutely. But I didn’t stay there. I allowed myself to lament and then changed my perspective.

So where does that leave me?

This morning I took my first warm shower in THE121 in a week!

My friend was able to identify that the line running to my dishwasher broke and thus causing the leak. So all in all I need a new dishwasher but I am BEYOND grateful that it wasn’t my hot water tank or my water filtration system.

AND my friend sent me this text last night,

And sure enough…I am listening to the sweet sound of water filling my tank as I type…

Not today satan, not today.

On August 12, 2022 a group of friends gathered at Teaberry Acres and THE121 to dedicate this house and this land to the Lord. On that date I surrendered this house to the Lord. But did I?

Life was a whirlwind last week with the flood. This weekend the Lord graciously allowed me to put my house back together with the help of a dear friend. When it was reassembled, I sat with a big huge SIGH, order felt good.

My friend gently reminded me that regardless of the chaos or the order, God is still who He says he is.

It rained yesterday and so my tank filled some. I turned off my water in peace and went to a New Year’s Eve party. We laughed until we cried and enjoyed the celebration of a new year.

I came home and excitedly turned my water back on and within a few seconds water came pouring back onto my floor.

Devastated.

I went to bed.

I awoke this morning stressed and anxious. I felt defeated. I felt like a failure. The enemy was after me.

My friend gently reminded me to talk to the Lord about my feelings. I opened my Bible and this was the verse God gave me.

My old self was getting the final word this morning. My flesh was speaking loudly. The Spirit gently whispered God gets the final say.

I battle self-worth almost daily. And God has made it abundantly clear to me that I have put my identity in THE121, which is an idol.

If I don’t have a house, I have Him.

If I don’t have water, I have Him.

If I don’t have money, I have Him.

So here I am, with Him.

Christmas Eve, The Lord told me that my word for 2023 was going to be RELEASE. I have way to many idols in my life that are taking the place of my God, My Father. So today I release THE121 back to Him.

With or without water. With or without working pipes. With or without heat.

I am His and so is this House.

It’s taken me several days to write this post. Why? Because it’s the post I never expected to write.

Two days before my Christmas break departure, I wrecked my truck. It was my fault. Thankfully it was just my truck verses a metal barrier. Neither won. Also gratefully, God provided my hair dressers husband to look at my truck and determine is was just cosmetic damage! So I drove to Ohio.

I did everything I knew to do (I say knew) to keep THE121 safe whilst away. And I left.

And then I came back.

I walked into no heat and no electricity at THE121. I didn’t panic because I always lose electricity and I am always prepared for that.

But the heat.

Do you remember what happened over Christmas? If you’re not from the Northeast, let me remind you….

The temps tanked.

The wind chilled.

They called it a “once in a century storm.”

I quickly turned on the water. Nothing. I didn’t panic. I just figured it would come back.

I put my thermal pajamas on and went to bed.

Then I went to work.

Then I came home.

I came home. I stepped into my house. I stepped into water.

I quickly realized the inevitable happened. A pipe broke somewhere…500 gallons of precious water…now in my precious tiny house…

I rapidly called for help and within 20 minutes 6 friends showed up with towels, hammers, flashlights and a shop vac.

In a normal house one can get things to another room…thankfully I have two lofts for “higher ground.”

While the men looked for the leak, we women and children quickly soaked up the water while hauling clothes, presents and valuables to cars.

In THE121 my water tank resides under my bed. So after the men disassembled the bed, a working theory began that an ice damn formed in my shut off valve which broke when THE121 got back up to temp and therefore broke the valve allowing 500 gallons of water to burst out.

A dear friend offered her house for the night and I gratefully accepted. The next morning I made a phone call to another friend who came over, assessed and agreed with the theory. AND he told me he could fix it!

He got to work while another friend helped me haul 20 straw bails to temporarily insulate the bottom of the house. After a long day, he reinstalled the pipes, ran heat tape and insulated them. (If you live in my area and need a contractor, I got your guy!)

The house was still in disarray and without water so I headed back to my friends house.

Mentally & emotionally spent, it wasn’t until today that there was energy to put THE121 back together with the help of my dear friend.

So here’s where you come in and why I humbly write this post.

1. Pray for Rain I lost my entire water supply.

2. Pray for protection. I won’t know if the fix worked until it rains.

3. Pray that I didn’t lose my hot water tank. Again, I won’t know this until I can run the water and test it out.

4. Ask God to provide. As you can imagine this was quite the expense.

So. Lesson Learned. Sometimes God uses the hard things to bring us to our knees and teach us complete and utter dependence on Him.

I have learned this past week how amazingly wonderful my friends are and what a tremendous support they are to me. The power of community is real.

I have learned that God is doing a work in me and using THE121 to do it. I Can honestly say this was one of the most humbling weeks I have had in a tremendously long time.

Without Him I am nothing and I have nothing.

It’s a slow process to put THE121 back together but as I write this I’m laying on my couch, my bed is rebuilt and Maggie Marie is snuggled up on my lap. I have so much to be grateful for.

Thank you for praying and investing in my journey.

I’ve now lived at THE121 for a quarter of a year! We’re still figuring out all of our quirks (the house and I), but I can honestly say I am so grateful for the gift the Lord has given!

Why am I grateful? I’m grateful because God is doing a new thing and He is using THE121 as an Avenue to do it.

I’ve faced some back lash lately about THE121, I won’t go into much detail but suffice it to say, people have THEIR opinions. Don’t get me wrong, people are entitled to their opinion. However when we share our opinion, we have to recognize, it’s just that OURS.

Some think the house is too small, others think I need to dig a well, while others think I need to dig a line for electricy, and let’s be honest, I’ve heard A LOT about the toilet! 😂

I’ve also heard more than one person say, God is going to use your house for good and His glory. And to that I say AMEN. I also know this to be true because satan tries to destroy what God means for good.

So while I was outside tonight doing chores, I looked up to this beautiful sight. As if God was whispering in my ear “silent night, all is well, welcome Home. I’m doing a new thing.”

A question I received from the very beginning was…you’re not going to be able to have a Christmas tree in your tiny house are you?! My answer was always the same…I will find a way!

When I toured the first model home, I knew immediately where my tree was going to go in my home. From the time THE121 arrived at Teaberry Acres I envisioned my house decorated for Christmas.

I’m so excited to share with you all THE121 in all of her Christmas splendor!

Emmanuel, God with us. God coming to earth, as a human, for me and for you. That is the true reason we celebrate. For there is nothing greater in life than God, in human form, Jesus to die for our sins.

My friend popped into my office late Tuesday afternoon and whispered quietly “the snow has started.” She knows I’m a LOVER of snow! I bolted from my office chair into the waiting room hugged the big picture window as big puffy flakes fell from the glorious sky.

I couldn’t even finish my trauma paper I was writing for my class, I closed my planner, waved goodbye to our amazing front desk team and smiled ear to ear as I started my truck.

I just knew in my heart that beauty awaited me at Teaberry acres. As I drove down the highway then turned onto the main road the trees just got more beautiful with every dropping flake. Then I turned onto the creek road with the cemetery and little pub. It was if God’s painting continued to profess even more beautifully with each passing stroke.

I held my breath as I turned at the stop sign and put my blinker on to turn into Teaberry acres and up my long driveway.

I exhaled and said “It’s more beautiful than I dreamed.”

There she was, my tiny house, nestled amongst the pines that looked as if they’d just been dipped by God in a big bucket of pure white snow.

It is always after the 1st snowfall of the season that I recall Psalm 51:7

So I’m not a hater of snow, quite the opposite. Snow reminds me to be still. Snow reminds me of beauty. It reminds me that my sins have been washed whiter than the snow that sits outside my bay window, and well that’s pretty white.

So as I sat in my bay window reclining with the outside light on and all others off, I whispered to Maggie “it sure is beautiful isn’t it?”

It past me up so suddenly three days ago…THE121 and I made it through out first quarter together! I was joking with a friend that living in THE121 is a lot like the first year of marriage (says the single girl). I’m told that the first year or marriage is tough and wonderful all at the same time (can someone verify that this is true?!).

I’m told you’re still in love but, y’a know, just trying to figure each other out, quirks and all. I’d have to say that’s how it’s been so far for me and THE121.

I’m learning the ebb and flow of the propane tanks. I’m learning to keep extra gas on hand and I’m learning the noises that come in the middle of the night.

I’m learning to ask for help and I am learning that I have awesome neighbors (did I tell you about when I locked myself INSIDE my house?).

So we made it. While it’s still autumn, winter has arrived with the glory of the snow (next post). So there’s a whole new season ahead of us.

With the impending snow, procrastination, I could fend off no more. An after work trip to Lowe’s and THE121 was winterized quickly (well almost…).

So am I still in love with my house? 100%. Am I learning it’s quirks? 100%.

It’s hard to believe that 3 months ago I was spending my last night at the Trosky Cabin, laying in bed with great anxiety over this new long awaited chapter…and here I am loving in my own home for 3 whole months!

One of my friends, as she prayed over THE121, spoke words that this would be a new chapter of healing and freedom in my life.

I can honestly say that in the quiet of the country, tucked into the woods, I have met God on numerous occasions. He’s spoken truth over me and strongholds have been released. But, let’s be honest, there’s still more work to do.

I’ve also come to the realization of many other facets, mainly that this is my responsibility.

Shocking.

I know.

As I scrubbed spilled syrup from the bottom of my fridge, I knew, it was my fault, my responsibility. Maggie certainly didn’t spill the syrup.

As I stepped into the shower this morning, expecting a hot shower, I was met with ice cold water that took my breath away and paralyzed my muscles, I knew it was my responsibility. I knew I was running low on propane and I neglected to fill the tanks. There was no one to blame but myself.

Blame shifting. We do it so well don’t we? We make others our scapegoats. We don’t want to own responsibility, not for the spilled syrup, not for the hurt words…you name it…

So along with many other revelations, I am grateful that THE121 has helped me to own my stuff.

So what does life look like when everyone has left?

Chores.

It looks like chores.

You have chores. I have chores. Some look the same and some may look different.

Last night I found myself at the end of my procrastination to service my generator. Half procrastinating because of laziness but half procrastinating out of I haven’t gotten the slightest clue what I am doing procrastination.

So I sat and studied the user manual, I watched a few YouTube videos and got to work.

Turns out I have more skill than I thought. I cleaned the air filters, changed the oil, cleaned the spark plug and made sure the gas tank was clear.

I continue to learn that we are capable of adapting, of learning and we are often much stronger and smarter than we give ourselves credit for.

Why does the voice that tells us we can’t, often seem louder than the truth that we can?

There’s your question for the day.

And in the meantime, I continue to be grateful for new skills and God’s continued protection over me.