To be or Not to be...That is the Question.

Good Morning! Well, after a long day of waiting to find out if the our contract/offer was accepted or denied...we found out that it was denied.

The other buyers who had originally put a contract in on the house had asked the seller to make a lot of cosmetic changes (painting every room of the house) which the seller got mad about and that is how the deal originally got dropped. That is where we came in to the picture. We were told there was room to negotiate, therefore we put a lower offer in (but not disrespectful offer). The seller said we were too far apart and let the other buyer come back in to the situation and make another negotiation! So...we, nor our Real Estate Agent was aware this was happening or could happen. Lots of mis-communication. So...at this point. We don't even know if the other buyer will get rejected again or not. So, we will ask for continued prayers that if this is supposed to happen, please God let it happen and if it is not, please let us walk away.

Last night our friends Daniel and Amber Speir came over to have dinner and carve pumpkins! Check it out:

Clint getting serious with the drill!

The gang carving!

Ahhhh!

The Speir's topiary creation with a string of lights through it!!! How cute! Their first married pumpkin carving! Yay! Thanks Pinterest!

My polka-dot pumpkin using a drill!

Clint's pumpkin. He FREE-HANDED this creation!! Isn't that amazing!?

The Davis pumpkins together! Aww!

Well, I am up and ready to get packing for the 10-year reunion weekend! Yay! Excited for Daniel Speir's Baptism (Re-dedication of faith) on Sunday! Congratulations to Daniel and Amber making it 1 year on Sunday! Every year is super special and important! Congrats guys!

A LOT can happen in a matter of 3 hours...

Oh my goodness! What a day...what a day!!!! October 19th, 2011 will be remembered as a very special day at the Davis household!

At 9am this morning I get a call from one of my best friends, Grace (who is also our Realtor). She asks, "Are you sitting down?" I'm standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom putting on makeup, so I park it on the toilet and respond with, "Yes. What?" She responds, "The contract is not going through on the house that y'all wanted and the listing agent just called to see if y'all are still interested before she puts it back on the market. But, no pressure!" Haha.

Clint and I stop and take a deep breath. We realized that we were still in the same situation we were in 3 weeks ago when we wanted to put an offer in on the house...I still don't have a job! But, we knew I would be finding out today if I could start without passing my RD exam or not. That was going to be the key point in ALL of this. So, we asked Grace if we were able to put an offer in on the house contingent upon my employment; making sure we were able to back out at any point. So...

I booked it over to our mortgage lender's office. I had some final paper work to fill out. I dropped all my paperwork off and they said they would call me as soon as possible. And I start walking out of the office and...

My phone rings. A number I don't know. It is Pierremont Healthcare Center.

They OFFERED ME THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Along with offering a salary that really puts us in a great place financially. So, I start this Tuesday, October 25th!!!!

I was SO overwhelmed...and it was only 10:45 AM!!!

So, I immediately went to Pierremont Healthcare to get a letter of employment for the lender to figure up our prequalification letter. Long story-short. We were able to get our pre-qual letter and we put an offer in on the house at 4:00PM this evening!!!

We are SO EXCITED. A job and possibly a house in one day. Now that is A LOT.

In all of this I think God really wanted for me to see that I put a lot of emphasis and meaning into this house, the first time around, and that was really unnecessary and sinful. I wanted this house so bad, that I didn't care about anything else. I was longing for this Earthly thing and I was DEVASTATED when someone snatched it out from up under us. But, after 3 weeks of not having it, I was fine...of course. I completely let it go and realized that it was not THAT big of a deal and if it wasn't God's will or plan for Clint and I, then I didn't want it any way.

So, now...I'm not nervous at all about the contract not going through. I feel super confident that if it goes through...it is supposed to. If it doesn't....we are not supposed to be in that house. Thank you God for bringing us to our knees to realize that we have to be patient and wait on His plan because at the end of the day...it is going to be the one that benefits us and others the most.

Prayers:

1. Brother-In-Law, Dustin's, brain tumor/labs.

2. Couple who will be finding out about their job situation this week. Pray that it meets their financial needs.

3. Prayers for a couple who have a struggling marriage/ are separated.

4. Prayers for a friend who has an interview tomorrow.

5. Prayers that if this is the home for us- God will make everything work SMOOTHLY.

6. Prayers for my new JOB!! My transition into the working force again will be smooth and I will excel at my new position. Pray that I am accepted well at my new position.

7. Prayers for our hearts during this huge transition and also our marriage as we adjust to change.

8. Prayers that I can kick the RD exams booty.

PRAISES to GOD from whom ALL blessing flow abundantly:

1. I GOT A JOB!!!!!!

2. I will financially be contributing to my family!

3. I have a job!

4. I'm going to be working!

5. We possibly have a house!

Good evening!! Not surprising to all of you who follow our blog, a decent amount has happened since our last post. However, we are doing really well and praying like it is no-one's business! Continuing to put our faith and trust in God from whom all blessings flow. We are so thankful for His grace and mercy that we can be made new every morning!

Job Update:

I still do not have a job....surprise, surprise. Haha. I'm feeling great about God's timing though. I made it to the 3rd round of interviews with Daiichi Sankyo, pharmaceutical sales company. My last interview was Wednesday, October 12th, morning. It went really well. I kept making it to the next round...and then the next...and then the next...so my prayer was, "if this is not it God..close the door". Well, sure enough I got an email Friday, October 14th, morning that I would not be moving on to the next level. So, I was thanking God that He made that decision for me. That makes life a lot easier.

I got a call from Pierremont Healthcare, long-term healthcare facillity, on Tuesday, October 11th, of last week telling me the they were not sure if they were going to bring me on board until I passed my RD exam. So, I got a call from them again today essentially saying the same thing...but they were making sure I was still interested. So, tomorrow I will find our for sure if I have to pass my exam before they will let me start working for them. So, that is a praise and a prayer request that I can pass my exam.

Moving along...

My Mom came in Wednesday evening, October 12th. We had a great visit! Of course she spoiled the mess out of Clint and I, like usual. We ran around town on Thursday and had lots of fun; we went to "Poker Night" at our new friends Daniel and Amber Speir's house on Friday; Saturday we watched Football all day; and Sunday Mom went home. It was a great trip. Too short as always, but hopefully we can go up there for Thanksgiving.

Mom brought me my birthday present!!! (Yes...my birthday is 12/28...but...sometimes you just NEED it early!) She bought me this bedding I had REALLY been wanting. So, we put our new bedding on our bed and I just happened to already have drapes that matched. So we moved our bedding and window treatment into the guest room. I had some lamps in other parts of the house I moved into the guest room that matched better. So, I was able to recycle a lot of pieces to make it all flow. Here is the result: Pic 1 and 2- our bedroom. Pic 3, 4, 5- guest bedroom

Loving the transformation! THANKS MOM AND DAD! Happy Birthday to me...in many weeks!

Latest Project(s):

I have been working on A LOT lately. But...most of them are Christmas presents...so I cannot share them just yet! But...I'm thrilled about all the turnouts...that's all I can say!

Tonight was my sewing night at Ellen Spencer's house! Love it. We have been sewing stockings for the last 4 weeks. And I finally finished ours today! Check them out:

I can't WAIT to put them on the fire place. I guess now I have to sew two more: one for Addie and one for Layla!

For the upcoming weekend:

Clint's 10 year High School Reunion! WHAT?!?! YES!!! How old are we??? So strange. So, we will be participating in lots of reminiscing fun all weekend. I cannot believe that we are going to do this...it just seems too soon!

Clint's sister Dana is on Homecoming Court, so we will get to see her in all her glory as well. I'm excited. Plus it has cooled down here...A LOT...92 on Monday and 60 on Tuesday...yeah. So, that should be fun to wear a coat. Yes, we wear coats in Louisiana when it is 60 degrees outside. Our blood has no clue what is going on. It has been over 100 degrees every day for the last 5 months. So, we will be freezing to death!

Of course we will stop during Saturday afternoon to take a break and cheer on our Tigers...not to be fooled...we are playing the Tigers....but we bleed Purple and Gold...not that yucky Orange and Blue (Sorry Ellen and Justin)!

Prayers:

1. Brother-In-Law, Dustin's brain tumor and renal labs. Pray that God will continue to keep his tumor in remission. Pray that God will help his kidneys to filter more properly.

2. Pray that God will give me a J-O-B! Pray that God will close to door to jobs I am not supposed to have and open the ones where I need to go!

3. Prayers for a friend's marriage; God's will to prevail.

4. Prayers for friends who are trying to conceive and having difficulties. Pray that God will protect their hearts during this difficult time. Pray that God will protect their marriage during this time as well.

5. Prays for a friends who will be finding out about a potential job. Pray that God will let that process be smooth if it is His will for their lives. Prayers for their relationship with family.

6. Prayers that I can be diligent about my studies and kick this RD Exam's BUTT!

Praises:

1. God closed a door to a job opportunity for me!

2. God has left a door open for a job opportunity for me!

3. God has provided a dear friend with a job opportunity closer to where she wants to be, geographically!

4. God has moved in a friendship of mine and opened communication lines!

Tiger Update:

We have our 'Beat Bama' shirts ready to go! They have been purchased, delivered, washed, and dried. Only 3 more weeks. We are trying to break our shirts in before the big day of Nov 5th! Geaux Tigers this weekend against Auburn! We will be there supporting you through the TV! I'm sure Clint will be yelling loud enough so that you can hear it in Baton Rouge though!

Love to all of you! Again, please email us your prayer request if you have any! jaciejdavis@gmail.com and clintdavis27@gmail.com

How can it be?

How can it be that we are disappointed when we asked God to do certain things?

In my posting on Friday, I asked for prayers for God to not let our "potential house" be put under contract over the weekend if it was the house he wanted for us. Well, the house was put under contract this weekend...and my heart was completely broken. I was truly angry. I was angry at the people who took our "dream house" away from us and I was angry at Clint and myself for not moving more quickly, even though we didn't feel like moving more quickly was a good idea.

So the sobering truth of our "potential dream house" being taken off the market was a nasty reality we found out about yesterday (Sunday) evening. My poor Realtor, and best friend Grace, had to call and tell me. I felt so bad for her, because I wouldn't have wanted to call me and tell me the news either!

But, the other sobering truth is that: Maybe God didn't want us to have THAT house??? Maybe that was not the one He wanted us to move in to?? Whether it was too quick? Or He has a different neighborhood for us?? Or He wants us to be a part of a different community? These are all very good questions. Of course in His time, we will find out why we didn't get the house. And as the seconds pass by and I quit being internally ridiculous, I trust that God's plans are only to prosper us and not to fail us.

But...my heart is still a little broken...a lot broken. I suppose that is why having our human nature of falling for Earthly things can be really dangerous. And scary. All I have thought about all yesterday evening, this morning, and this afternoon is how heart broken I am that we will not be the ones moving into this awesome house and our lives are being put on hold again. But how selfish is that? Very. (My husband is really going to enjoy reading this; especially since he is the one that has had to listen to me moan and groan for the last 24 hours!)

Again, coming back to the realization that this is God's world, time, and money; we are here to serve and worship Him. Should we be patient enough for His blessings? Shouldn't we be thrilled for the person who is getting blessed to have a home? Shouldn't we thank God for shutting a door that is not in our best interest even though we are unable to see that right now?

Yes we should! So, from this moment forward, I am going to thank God for His grace, mercy, and understanding. I am going to appreciate Him closing a door and answering our prayers! :)

On a lighter note:

I got accepted into the 3rd round of interviews for Daiichi-Sankyo, pharmaceutical sales company. However, I also got a 3rd interview for Pierremont Healthcare Center in Shreveport for a Nutrition Manager position. I am supposed to hear back from the administrator today to see how much I am being offered and when I can start! Which is a HUGE BLESSING.

So...

Prayer Requests:

1. My job. God will lead me to take the job that is right for me.

2. God will financially provide a salary that suits Clint and my financial needs.

3. Brother-In-Law, Dustin. Kidney labs are poor; Oncology Dr. is stopping chemo due to Acute Kidney Failure as evidenced by high protein levels. Pray that God will protect Dustin and that his chemo will stay in remission.

4. Prayers for a friend who is having marriage troubles and separated from spouse. That God will protect the couple through therapy and restoration of each of their hearts.

5. God will direct us in knowing what to do with our housing situation.

6. I am going to have to take my RD exam in two weeks. Prayers that I will be diligent with my studies and I will retain information. Prayers that I will pass this time.

Praises:

1. God shut the door to a home.

2. I have 2 potential job offers and will be finding out within the next hour whether I have a job!

Thanks everyone for your thought and prayers. Clint and I appreciate every bit of it. Again, please let us know if we can be praying for something specific for y'all.

Blessings In Disguise

Imagine us having another crazy filled week and a half! Jacie here again.

Clint's PawPaw passed away on the evening of Tuesday, September 27th. It was truly a blessing that he went very peacefully, but none-the-less, we knew the grieving process was going to be difficult. Clint didn't go to work on Wednesday and we drove to Clint's home, Deville, LA, on Thursday morning. We arrived at the Wake around 3:30pm and we were there until 10:30pm that evening. It was a very long day. Clint took this VERY hard.

The funeral was Friday at 11am. Clint decided that he wanted more time with PawPaw alone, so he woke early on Friday morning and got to sing, pray, and talk to him for the last time before people start arriving at the church for the funeral. This was very good closure for Clint. This was Clint's first close relative to lose, so it was a difficult process for him.

We stayed until Sunday morning, which was Clint's Mom's birthday, and then made the drive back to Bossier. Needless to say, we didn't do anything Sunday or Monday. Literally emotionally and physically drained.

Monday: I had a phone interview with Daiichi-Sankyo (DSI) which went very well. This is the pharmaceutical sales company my friend Kelly works for and has recommended me for the opening in Shreveport. I also had an interview with Pierremont Healthcare Center which is a long-term health care facility who is looking for an RD. Both went very well. DSI set up a face-to-face interview for Friday (today). Pierremont said they would get back with me.

Wednesday: Clint and I went to look at the house we have been looking at for about two weeks now. We took tape and laid out where the furniture would go and threw around ideas. Then we decided to look at another house in a neighborhood we really liked just to throw a wrench in the system. Well, we really liked the neighborhood, but not the house. So...we went home that night and decided that maybe we wanted to wait and find something in that neighborhood. We were feeling very bi-polar at this point. I'm sure our Realtor (who is also my best friend, Grace Pylant Rogers) was also thinking this!

That night I decided to get on the computer one last time and see if I had missed any houses.

And...I did! There was a house that had JUST been put on the market in a neighborhood close to the one we are obsessed with and it was in our price range...but no pictures. So, I sent it to Grace. Come to find out...she was looking at that listing at the same exact time at 10:30 at night!

She sent me the pictures the next morning and I immediately knew it was the one. One hour later, I get a call from the administrator at Pierremont (who is my next door neighbor's girlfriend!) and she practically offers me the job over the phone, but says I need to come in and sign paperwork on Monday and I could start orientation on Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only is this a huge deal because I need a job, but it is also a huge deal because we cannot buy a house unless I have a job. So, four long hours before we get to preview what I think is going to be our dream house, I "get" a job! PERFECT!

So, we went and looked at the house--and just as I thought....it was absolutely perfect for us and where we are right now in life. JUST PERFECT.

Finally all of these crazy things that have been happening to us are coming full circle-- which we knew all along there would be an answer and eventually would reveal themselves. But ....ahhhhh! It is so nice to see where God is going with all of these things! It SO pays off to be faithful, patient, and to stand firm in God's promise that it is not your plan, it is HIS.

I am so happy that I failed the RD exam because if I didn't, I would have taken a traveling RD job and I might be in TN right now for all we know. We wouldn't have tried Broadmoor and made our new amazing friends. We wouldn't be looking at buying a house. I might not have been in town for Pawpaw's funeral. It is so nice to see that God is taking care of us even when it doesn't go the way we think it should.

Prayer Requests:

1. I can sign the paperwork for the Pierremont Healthcare Center job on Monday with no problems.

2. If God wants us to be in this house, it will not be put under contract this weekend!

3. We will find a great lender.

4. Finances will go smoothly.

5. Dustin, Brother-In-Laws, brain cancer and labs.

6. Friend and Relative's of Pawpaw will have peace and closure.

Praises:

1. Possible job for MEEEEEE

2. Possible house for USSSS

3. The goodness of friends and community!--This is a big one!

LSU gonna eat them gators up this weekend! We have to make the trip down to Deville again this weekend! But, we get to celebrate for our friend's Christal and Stephen Workman, their son Stihl is turned one!! Will be driving back on Saturday night. Thank you again for everyone's prayers and support. We appreciate all of it and know we are praying for you too. And if you have any specific prayer requests, don't hesitate to send them to us through email, facebook, whatever.