2014-2015!

Wow - it has been a YEAR since my last blog post! It is crazy how time flies by when you're having fun! :) This past October was one year since we moved into our home. We are still loving it and excited about staying committed to our financial goals to work on paying down the mortgage.

There has been A LOT that has changed within the past year, personally, professionally, and spiritually. I am truly grateful for all of the change, even though it wasn't easy being in the midst of it all. You know, the Bible teaches about time such as those, and as an adult I am learning that those times are some of the sweetest.

I am so excited to see what 2015 will bring. Seth and I have discussed our goals for the year and I truly believe it will be another amazing year! I am so blessed to have a husband whom is willing to sit, share, and dream together. It's pretty fun! :) The both of us have learned over the past year that we are so much more successful when we set a goal, agree it, and work toward achieving it. In specific, when discussing our finances. We are continuing to move forward with the baby steps of Dave Ramsey. I often hear of his success stories and people paying off thousands and thousands of dollars in debt in so many months... pretty motivating! I continue to be amazed at the relief we experience in our marriage by not allowing finances to control us. I will forever be grateful for the Biblical teachings of money, as well as figuring it out on my own through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.

2014 Major Transitions:

• Finished my 3,000 intern hours in July! {This was truly a blessed experience. I couldn't have done without an amazing supervisor. She taught me so much and has become such a special part of my life. Thankful that although the intern hours are over, the relationship just began.} 

• Left Serenity House in October! {This was bitter-sweet. I learned SO MUCH while working as a residential counselor. It was a humbling experience and I will FOREVER be grateful for the experience. Serenity House has a very special place in my heart. There was A LOT of personal healing that took place during those three years.} 

• Began working at McMurry University in October as the Coordinator of Counseling Services and the Disability Coordinator.  {This job is a BLESSING. I work part-time and the schedule is perfect. It allows me to use my education and training, as well as fulfilling my desire to be a house wife (cooking, cleaning, etc.) I am truly thankful for this job and have been loving the transition. I am loving it!} 

• Began the exploration of private practice at Freedom Counseling in September. {This too has been an exciting experience. I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience what private practice is all about, all while only working a few hours a week. You know, I truly believe that God sends you just the people you need... Many of my clients have blessed me more than they will ever know.} 

As far as major transitions, I think those about sum it up. As you can see, most of the transitions were revolved around my professional growth, but it is those transitions that have always strengthened me personally and spiritually. It all goes together! :)

What Am I Looking Forward To In 2015? 

• Starting the use of Young Living Essential Oils! 
• Yes. I am still a bit skeptical, but I am staying open-minded and encouraged to start using them. I ordered my Premium Starter Kit and find myself feeling pretty excited about waiting on it to arrive. I love hearing other's success stories with their use of essential oils. Seth says, "Are you going to turn into one of those crazy oil ladies?" 

• Give more! 
• We both love helping others! Tithing is a must and the first thing that comes out of our budget each month. It is pretty rewarding when you get your end of the year contribution amount and reflect back on how in the world you gave that amount when you didn't make near that amount of money! God is good - it is ALL His to begin with anyway... he is just entrusting us to be good stewards. 

• Saving enough cash to have a fence built! 
• Seems like a pretty simple thing, but you should get a quote... CRAZINESS! 

• Making two extra house payments! 
• You know I learned in 2014 that if you make 1 extra house payment a year that you will pay off a 30 year mortgage in 22 years! That is pretty exciting! We succeeded in 2014 with making 1 extra payment. 

• Further discussion and consideration for having children!
• Ya'll don't be going crazy! CALM DOWN - nothing to get too excited about right now! I will be sure to keep you all posted. :) 

• Read more books, professional and enjoyment! 
• I never could find "time" to sit down and read, as I was ALWAYS thinking about what I needed to be doing... sweeping, mopping, cleaning, laundry, ironing, etc. Well... now with more spare time on my hands, I am looking forward to getting myself into a routine on my spare time and making time for reading. 

• Start exercising and making health a priority! 
• One thing I have learned about myself is that I get into the ruts where I don't exercise AT ALL and then I start and feel success from it so I just run it into the ground until I am sick of it. Just like with everything... I need to find a healthy balance. Exercise has always felt like a punishment to me... I want to change that! I KNOW I feel better physically and emotionally when I exercise. I JUST HAVE TO DO IT! 

Until next time... I will share a quote that has stuck with me for the past few weeks... "Crying is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign that you have LOVED." 

Home Sweet Home!

We started moving into our completed, new home on October 4, 2013. I never thought the day would come, but looking back on the journey it actually happened pretty fast! I can see God's hand in the entire process!

As we left our townhouse with our first "load" of belongings to the new house, I cried all the way! They were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. We loved our townhouse. It was our first home… it was where Seth proposed to me… it was where we went the night of our wedding… There were so many wonderful memories, but as Seth said, "There are many more memories to come." I am so thankful that we patiently waited for the right time to begin the journey. I do not believe it would have turned out the way it did how we not continued to be faithful and patient with our finances. There were many times during the building process that we were not able to "lock in" on an interest rate and our "budgeted mortgage" was increasing dramatically. However, as it all began to wrap it, God was faithful and just to take care of us. The interest rates decreased and we returned to our "budgeted" price.

I remember the first couple of days that I would look around in awe and think to myself, "this cannot be our house." For the first week, we had to shower in the guest bathroom because we did not have a blind on our bathroom window. I remember getting out of the shower, looking into the living area/kitchen area and it took me a minute to realize that this was our house and I was not at a guest's house! I would often stop.sit.cry in awe of the blessings that God has continued to pour out on our family.

I could go on and on about the journey of building a new home, but I will spare you all of those details and simple say… I DO NOT think I could do it again, but then again the end product is ASTOUNDING! :)

I am especially grateful to my family and ALL of their help! I love you very much and would not be where I am today without your love and support! 

What am I enjoying the most? 

• COOKING in my beautiful kitchen! 
• The double-oven… No more trying to plan out what needs to be cooked first! 
• My jetted Jacuzzi tub! 
• Peaceful! 
• TV above the fireplace! 
• The back patio! 

What I am not enjoying…. 

• THE CRITTERS!

Those of you that know me are probably laughing about now! I told Seth… "If I would have known that all of these critters were going to be living out here back in March when we picked out this lot, I am not sure we would be living here right now." He simple said, "I am glad you didn't know!" 

Seriously they aren't that bad… but I'm a little bit of a city girl and I cannot do scorpions, spiders, or snakes! I am surviving and I have my own little "pest patrol" man that I like to call my amazing husband! Here are a few pictures of these wonderful "pets" that live out here with us. Trust me - - there have been plenty more. I am just getting a little more immune to where I don't have to take a picture every time! HA! :) 

(Our first "pet" that we discovered during the construction.)

(Our second "pet" that we discovered when moving in.)

Here are some pictures from the journey - - I hope you enjoy! 

Coming Soon: NEW HOME!

As we embark on this new journey in our lives there are many different feelings that come to my mind... stressful, grateful, excited, happy, cautious, anxious, blessed, etc. The list could go on and on. Maybe it is because I do feeling check-ins all day, every day and I am pretty in-tune with all of the different emotions! :)

We began this journey approximately 10 months ago! As many of you know, who have read any of my previous blogs, we have been working toward financial peace for the past couple of years. However, I must confess that when we went to begin the journey of obtaining a home mortgage, and we did not have active credit due to not having any debt in the past two years, I was not a big supporter of Dave Ramsey! :) We had worked so hard at budgeting, saving, and overall being good stewards of our money, and when the time came to consider purchasing or building a home we had to jump through numerous hoops. Basically, short version... we would have been immediately approved for a home loan if we had bad credit and thousands of dollars in debt vs. no active credit and debt free.

THAT. IS. WHAT. THIS. ECONOMY. HAS. COME. TO.

After living in a town-home for the past 2.5 years we were adamant about finding a home that was not smack dab next to someone else! I do not want to know when my neighbors come home or leave. I do not want their animals in my yard. I do not want to hear them climbing the stairs while I am watching TV in the living room. I do not want to hear their garage door opening. I do not want to hear their dogs barking. Okay... you get the point... we wanted to live in a home on a lot where there is plenty of space in between the homes.

We looked at numerous homes within the area that were beautiful. However, you could reach your hand out of the kitchen window and touch the home next to you. We reached the conclusion that we were going to build our very own home. Then, came the journey of finding a lot that we loved.

We drove all over the area actively searching for a lot that we would love in order to build our future home. We quickly learned that ALL of the lots within the areas that we were wanting to live were very pricy. I guess that is why we've been working hard to save money, right?

We finally drove up on a new location that had just posted a sign introducing a new spacious subdivision. The view was remarkable and we immediately looked at each other and said, "this is it." WE. LOVED. IT. Now, the time came to get the contact information off of the sign in order to see just how much these lots would cost. I contacted the owner and she was so friendly, encouraging, and willing to meet us at the location. We met her and her husband the next day. It was such a sweet moment. She looked at me and said, "Is your mother Terry and your father Mark?" She looked at Seth and said, "Is your father Ricky? I was in awe. This lady was special and everything "felt right." We talked about two of the lots that we were interested in and she informed us of the cost. Seth knew which lot I wanted and I knew which lot he wanted... Luckily, they were the same lot! :) We told her that we would take the lot and that we were scheduled to meet with the mortgage company in four days. The lot is a corner lot, a little over an acre, and the perfect location! We love it!

We met with the mortgage company, became approved, and secured our builders. This all happened pretty quickly! Over the past couple of months, we have been in the process of getting electricity set up, getting a water meter set, finalizing floor plans, closing on the lot, and of course driving out to the lot on a regular basis! :)

They have finally set the framing for the concrete and should pour concrete this week.

All of our extra time is consumed with this new home, but I know six months from now it will all be worth it. :)

I am so grateful for a supportive, hard-working husband that is helping me stay calm during all of this. I definitely could not do it without him! Think about it this way... a perfectionist who has loss of control for the next six months?! HA! Don't worry, I consistently remind myself of step one "I am powerless."

Yay! It is sold to us! :)

Our shredded lot, right before the concrete crew comes to frame. 

Yay! They delivered the first load of wood. 

Finally getting the framing for concrete started.

Framed out, dirt hauled, and going to pour concrete soon. 

Striving to do what is right...

HA! How funny... this was a blog that I initially wrote in November 2012. Apparently, I never published the post to my blog. I just realized it when I went to publish the most recent post "Coming Soon: NEW HOME." HIS timing is right... I learned that it is about having patience during the "wait period." I am thankful I waited for His perfect timing!

Striving to do what is right... but understanding that it is NOT my timing, but HIS!

For those of you that know, Seth and I have been living a "Dave Ramsey" life for quiet some time now.  We have been budgeting, tithing, using our envelopes, saving, saving, and saving!

In an earlier blog, I was pleased to announce that we had recently conquered "Baby Step 3." For those of you that are familiar with Financial Peace, we can't technically move on to the next "Baby Steps" until we purchase a home. It has been since that time (October 2011) that we have been saving for our first home.

Well, in my "need" to always feel like I am control I thought it would be beneficial to save until we were dead (okay, not really, but it seems like it). No, I thought it would be best if we saved as much cash as possible in order to have a substantial down payment. On a side note... I am the type of person that gets my mind set on something and GOES FULL BLAST until it is achieved! Well, Seth and I talked about it and thought that it might be beneficial if we went ahead and tried to see what getting a house would "look" like for us in our current financial situation. We did some figuring and we were able to determine the mortgage that we would be able to afford and still live comfortably. It was then that I called to speak with a loan officer, inform her of our current financial situation, provide documentation, etc. I did not know what to expect as I was anxiously awaiting the phone call.

It was then...... that....

She returned my call to inform that we NEEDED to be in debt in order to obtain a loan for a mortgage (due to a lack of an inactive credit score as a result of being out of debt for the past two years!) Seriously, I almost lost it! I couldn't believe it... we had worked so hard to get OUT of debt, get our finances in order, give, and save. That is what we are supposed to do, right?

Needless to say, I was extremely aggravated and discouraged. She attempted to encourage me by giving me options... options I could have DONE without! She began telling me that I could take a bank loan out, I could go buy something on credit, I could get credit cards, etc. There was a lot of STUFF in-between all of that, but I had a reached a point of no longer listening. I hung up the phone, discouraged, and uncertain. It was then that I remembered... "It is His timing, not mine."

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

The best 2 years of my life!

I know... I know... It's been a LONG time since I updated my blog! Life has been extremely busy, so I have a lot of updates!

First and foremost... Many of you know that I went to Hardin-Simmons to get my Master's Degree in pursuit of a state license to be a professional counselor. Well... in April I went and took my state board exam and PASSED! It is official and all of the hard work has paid off! However, I also wanted to get my state license in chemical dependency counseling, so I went in June and took that state exam and PASSED! Officially... I am now.... Jesse Potter, M.Ed., LCDC, LPC-Intern. I am under supervision for my LPC until I complete 3,000 hours, but all of the hard work is behind me!

Many of you may have read about my career passion on a previous blog, but through all the stress and uncertainty God continued to push me and reveal to me in various ways that I was doing what it was that he had in store for me. There were evenings after work where I wanted to throw my LPC study materials against the wall and not have to think about it. Looking back on my education, preparation for my state board exam, and passing both state license exams it has definitely been a fast paced couple years. Today, I am able to say with confidence that it has been worth every minute and I am truly blessed to be on this "half" of it!

God has continued to "show up" and "show off" and I am forever grateful for the opportunities that have been handed to me. I was offered a job back in January at Serenity House Drug and Alcohol Treatment that fits perfect with what I need to fulfill my supervised hours, as well as give me excellent experience. On top of that, it is in a field that I have been extremely interested in for a while now. Yes - I know the only word that comes to mind is BLESSED!

On top of all of the exciting career accomplishments... June 5, 2012 marked our 2-year anniversary and I must say it has been the BEST 2-years of my life! It amazes me each and every day how blessed I am to have such an amazing, supporting, love, etc. husband. To celebrate all of the accomplishments as well as our 2-year anniversary we went to HAWAII! We left on Sunday, June 3rd and stayed for a week at a fabulous resort and had an amazing, relaxing time! When we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon we scheduled numerous excursions, because we thought that would be our only opportunity, so for this trip it was nice to be able to relax and not have a schedule. We hung out on the beach, went to the spa, layed by the pool, went zip-lining, drove the road to Hana, went to the spa again, and ate some amazing food! It was such a relaxing, peaceful trip, especially after being so busy for the past several months. Thanks to my wonderful parents for the graduation gift, we had a fabulous time!

Our next vacation...  Key West, Florida!