Prayer Answered! Home For Christmas!

If you heard a sound that resembled a sonic boom earlier this week it probably wasn't the space shuttle breaking through the sound barrier - in fact I know it wasn't. It was Cammie and I, shouting out in praise, excitment and relief because our home sold. God was faithful, as He always is, and we found favor in an unfavorable housing market. The average home is on the market for 120 days. We sold at 90 days. Escrow has opened and will close in time to get us home for Christmas.

We are so thankful and give all thanks to our wonderful God. Below you will find a survey of prayer events that led to the sale of our home. Now we ask that you begin to redirect the focus of your pray for our family. On Sunday we will leave for NC for a week. During that time we hope to find our new home, make an offer and open an escrow there. Acts 17:26 says that God has determined the times set for us and the exact places where we should live. What a great comfort to know that He already knows and will reveal it to us.

Thank you for your continued prayer.

Anatomy Of Answered Prayer

The sell of our home is living proof that prayer is necessary and powerful. Our home was on the market for 90 days. (The average time on the market is 120 days) Throughout this time Cammie and I (and a host of others) contended in prayer, perhaps in a way we never had before. God taught us much about what prayer is and what prayer is not. We never imagined God would use the sell of our home to teach us so much. Here's a survey of prayer events that led to the answered prayer for which we are so thankful.

August 28th - Home Officially On The Market. Cammie and I made a commitment to continually and consistently call out to God for His perfect plan and timing in relation to the sell of our home. Our desire was to be in NC by the end of the year and more specifically - by Christmas.

Month of September - We came face to face with the reality that the housing market was truly changing and at an alarming speed. The statics were that the market was changing, unfavorably to sellers, every 72 hours. We pressed in all the more through prayer.

Month of October - Created this blog for the purpose of a concerted effort of prayer by friends and family. The reponse was wonderful as many of our friends and family committed to the power of agreement. It was also during this month that Cammie and I committed 4 Mondays to, not only a time of concentrated prayer, but to this we added (at the prompting of the Lord) fasting. Our prayer focus was that God would grant favor in unfavorable times.

Month of November - We sensed that we were released from the weekly fasting. At the same time we felt we were to press in even more diligently, contending in prayer, continuing to submit to God's will and timing - yet - expressing to Him the desire of hearts. Our desire was to be Home for Christmas. (Home being NC) The Wednesday in the week prior to Thanksgiving I felt an urgency to call for a group of intercessors to commit to prayer at a specific time and on a specific day. The Friday prior to Thanksgiving a group of approximately 35 people, across the U.S. and in the UK committed to pray for at least a five minute segment sometime between 9:30 and 10:30 am - Pacific time. The focus was to specifically ask God to expedite the sale of our home based on our desire to be home for Christmas. In order for this to happen something would need to happen no later than the day before Thanksgiving.

On that Wednesday I also felt the desire and need to get away - in a different environment - to be alone with the Lord. I drove up to Santa Barbara. It was there, as I was walking down the shoreline that I heard the Lord speak in a clear voice. He spoke two distinct words to me after a period of praying and singing in the spirit. The first word was...

"I am the Lord Almighty. I have sent you out. I will not delay."

The second word followed almost immediately.

"This transition has been like a pregnancy. The gestation period is over. It is time to give birth."

Needless to say - I was filled with great excitment upon hearing these two words. Throughout the entire process the Lord had given us a series of scriptural promises and we had been praying according to the promises, daily. These two words seemed to be the capstone. I knew that they were from the Lord and that He would fulfill His promises. On Friday morning the strategic prayer forces was lauched and successully executed. Prayer was being offered and God was listening. It was amazing to see God bring the birth He had promised.

On Wedneday, the day before Thanksgiving a couple came to view our home. They expressed an interest. On Friday evening, the day after Thanksgiving, they made a verbal offer. That offer was finalized in writing this past Monday evening and escrow opened yesterday. Our escrow is scheduled to close on December 21st. This date, by the way, is Zach's last day of school.

All this to say - We'll be rolling in to NC on Christmas day. God has honored the desire of our heart to - Be Home For Christmas. Thank you to all who have prayed for us along the way. It was necessary that we go through this three month period. It was during this time, as we sought the Lord that he taught us about His character, He gave us an even greater understanding of what prayer is and isn't. (We confess that there were times along the way we were challenged in trying to understand prayer) It was also during this 3 month period that God gave us a greater understanding of our future as well as insight into what our next season of life and ministry will look like. We have great anticipation of the future.

The Best Is Yet To Come!

A Strategic Call To Prayer - Reminder!

Many who will read these recent updates on our blog will already be aware of a strategic time of prayer for the sell of our home. This focused prayer will take place on Friday, November 16th, between 9:30 & 10:30 Pacific Time. We have had great response with everyone committing to pray for at least one five minute segment and some committing to more. If you have already received an invitation please allow this to serve as a reminder.

For those who are just hearing about this prayer time for the first time I would like to invite you to join us in praying some time during that hour for the expedited sell of our home. (If you do not live on the West Coast please calculate the time difference that we are all praying at the same time.) We are submitted to God's will and timing but feel a strong urging to break through in a concerted effort of prayer. We literally have commitments from around the world for prayer to be raised up in this matter. Your voice, calling out to God on our behalf, is greatly welcomed.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Empty The Trash...

Have you ever had those times when you are in the midst of change or transition and with everything within you wish, hope and pray that God would speak to you in the clearest and most unmistakeable way? In a way that, without a doubt, you know it was Him speaking to your situation, giving clarification and direction. I'm the first to confess that this is true of me and over the past few weeks I specifically asked for clear words from Him. I want to report that He is always faithful.

One such example is a wonderful event that happened to me on Wednesday as I was on my way to empty some trash into the recycle bin. I placed the trash in the bin and after I had taken a a couple of steps I noticed a little yellow piece of paper (see picture) laying on a blue water barrel. (The water barrel was left over from Y2. Wow - remember that?) The little piece of paper caught my attention for a couple of reasons. The first being that it was windy and should not be laying on the barrel in the manner in which it was. It should have blown away. The second reason it caught my attention is for the mere reason that it had my name on it.

I picked it up and much to my surprise and excitement it said, "Stan Wilson - A Word From The Lord Just From You." That was followed by two scriptures. Needless to say, the paper and especially the words contained on the paper caught my attention. I recognized the little piece of paper. It is 25 years old and was given to me by Dick Mills when I was in Bible College. I had been decluttering in preparation for our move and had placed some boxes on the water barrels several days ago. From there they were fed into the trash bins. The piece of paper should have made it's way into the trash bin but didn't. In fact, it had to have been laying there for more than a day. And, it has been windy for more than a day. I have no doubt whatsoever that this little piece of yellow paper being in the exact place at the exact time was no coincidence. God had placed it there. It's not as if I were rummaging through a box of old papers and came across it. I had asked God to speak clearly and unmistakeable and once again, He did. The scriptures found on the paper were...

Exodus 33:14

"The Lord replied, my presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Judges 6:14

"The Lord turned to him and said, Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

Well, obviously, since we are in the process of being called and sent out these words/scriptures were clearly and unmistakably God's voice of confirmation to us - confirming what He had already spoken. It's nice to have confirmation along the way - especially when you find yourself in the midst of taking such an incredibly large step of faith. I have attached a picture of the little yellow piece of paper. You have to see it to believe it. I hope that this somehow encourages you today.

I Was Wrong...

In an earlier posting I wrote about our Open House and the fact that our Realtor was much more optimistic than I found myself to be. I was actually prepared to accept the fact that no one may come. Well, her optimism paid off. We had 13 families come through our home this afternoon. Out of those 13 there were a couple of series potential buyers. As you read this posting please take time to pray. Perhaps one of these families is the family God has chosen to buy our home.

That's the update.

My Early Morning Prayer...

It was probably somewhere around 6:00 am. I was just beginning to wake up. I remember that in those first waking moments I began to pray. My first words reached only as far as the salutation. I remember beginning my prayer with the words - "Lord - God - Father." Even in the twilight hours I had enough mental capacity about me for those words to catch my attention and become a point of recognition and surrender. After these three words of address I found myself pondering the significance of each and the necessity of them all.

Lord - If I choose to address Him as Lord then I have realize that this is not merely a word but rather a declaration and I have to bear the weight/responsibility that comes with that declaration. Basically - the weight - the responsibility - I give Him full control (Lordship) of my life. All my life. Every aspect. When I call Him Lord I'm declaring that He is in charge and I am not. (Funny how this becomes a lifelong and reoccuring lesson) If I can accept the fact that He is in control the process of putting my full weight on Him becomes much easier.

I Surrender!

God - When I declare Him as God - I'm reminding myself that He is the Master. He is Sovereign. As Sovereign God - I understand that He owns his creation (of which I am a part) and He can do whatever He wishes with that creation. I can also trust that He will act out of His goodness and His justice. He's not going to jerk me around. I understand that, as God - He has a plan for me and my family and I can rest assured that He is working out that plan.

I Surrender!

Father - When I call Him Father I find great comfort as I call out to a Loving Papa. He will hold me. He will embrace me. He will correct me. He will guide me. He will care for me. He accepts me. He's cheering for me. He wants me to succeed. He understands my frustrations. He is patient with me in my anxieties. He'll never leave me. He'll never lie to me. He won't abandon me and He won't dissappoint me.

I Surrender!

That was quite an early morning lesson. The great thing is that it has lasted throughout the day and all througout the day I've continued to surrender.

Wasting The Time Away...

It's Sunday afternoon. Cammie and I just stuffed ourselves at Don Cucos' Sunday brunch. (As if that is what we really needed - more food.) Our realtor is having an open house at our home this afternoon and we are truly "Wasting The Time Away." We need to be out of the house a minimum of three hours - maybe more. We dropped the dogs off at Petco for their scheduled grooming. This was followed by the stuffing of our mouths and ultimately our stomachs. After making our way out of the restaurant we've settled in at "It's A Grind." Cammie is nestled in her newest Jan Karon book and probably so involved that she's not aware that I'm around. (That's OK. The important thing is that I know she loves me more than the book.)

The realtor has high hopes of a great turn out for the open house. I confess that, for some reason, I haven't found myself as optimistic. I pray that she is right and I am wrong. I think my lack of optimism has to do more with not wanting to be dissappointed. The default is - expect nothing - then anything above that is an encouragment.

I realize that the bulk of what I write about in this blogsite concerns the sell of our home. That seems to be the thing that occupies the bulk of our thinking. It seems to be the fuel with which God has chosen to teach us some, obviously, valuable life lessons that have to do with trusting Him. I've decided not to fight it and instead just rest in Him and learn. Of course my timeline in the whole ordeal would be different but it comes out of a pure heart. I just - we just - want to start the next season of our lives. Our excitement seems to be overwhelmed by the state of limbo.

This week has been filled with acts of resolve. Resolve that God is in charge and it's best that way. He has a plan and He is working the plan. Our resolve is - The Best Is Yet to Come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMMIE!

Today - the most wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, spunky woman in the whole world celebrates a birthday. My wife! This posting is for her. I want her to know just how blessed I am to have her in my life as my wife and the mother of our children. God most certainly gifted me. I wouldn't change the past 24 years of our life together (almost 24) for anything.

Cammie - I love you so much!

Stan

Finding Favor In Unfavorable Times

Among the lessons we are learning, one of the greatest is the ability to find favor in unfavorable times. One only has to listen to the evening news or browse the newspaper to recognize that we are living in unfavorable times. The economy is unfavorable. The cost of gasoline is unfavorable. The stockmarket is unfavorable. And - the housing market is unfavorable. To name a few.

Our prayer during these unfavorable times and as we try to sell our home in an unfavorable housing market is - "God grant us favor in unfavorable circumstances." As we've prayed I've decided to look to the scriptures for examples of men and women who found favor in unfavorable circumstances. While there are many there are two that have stood out. I found myself pondering the story of Abraham and Sarah as well as the Women who had been bleeding for 12 years. Here are two lessons we are in the process of learning.

Abraham & Sarah...

You can find favor even when your personal circumstances are beyond your control. God promised this aging couple a son of natural birth. In the midst of the promise it's realization was beyond their boundaries. In otherwords, they were personally limited and the promise was beyond their control. Try, though they may, Abraham and Sarah just couldn't make it happen. Since Sarah was beyond childbearing years and barren it was beyond their physical control. Nothing they would do could physically change this. It was beyond their mental control, thus, smart thinking couldn't change their circumstances. They couldn't concoct a scientific remedy that would produce a child. And it was most certainly beyond their emotional control. No matter how great their desire they couldn't muster up enough emotion to make it happen. Tears or Anger - Happy or Positive Thoughts -couldn't make it happen.

Despite their natural limitations - they were not Supernaturally limited. Recognizing that they were not spiritually limited was their only hope. Scripture tells us that Abraham hoped against all hope. Abraham hoped in God. Abraham had faith. Faith in God and faith in His promise. The result? The fullfillment of God's promise. A baby boy! The lesson learned is - it is possible to find favor in unfavorable times - even when it is beyond our control. It requires a faith that extends far beyond our contol.

The Woman Who Had Been Bleeding For 12 Years...

You can find favor in unfavorable circumstances when all the reports are bad. This woman had been trying to find a solution to her issue of blood for 12 years. By reading and studying the passage we realize that she had exhausted the lineup of available doctors. She had exhausted her supply of supposed remedies. (I encourage you to take time to study this passage and find out just how ridiculous some of these remedies were) The report was bad. After 12 years she was exhausted and still bleeding.

But then one day - she heard that Jesus was coming. She knew that if she could just get to him and touch his clothing (she was unclean and therefore could not actually touch Him according to the law) the report would be good and she would be healed. With great persistence she made her way through the crowd. She touched the hem of His robe and instantly the report changed. It changed from bad news to good news. She was healed! The bleeding stopped! She found favor despite her unfavorable circumstances and despite the unfavorble reports and bad news.

We've recognize that the sell of our home is beyond our control. And, we've learned that the reports around us concerning the housing market are bad. Most importantly we've learned that we can find favor in unfavorable circumstances. Abraham and Sarah did and the woman who had bled for 12 years did. We can and you can too.

Thus - this is our prayer. We hope against what seems to be all hope and contend for favor in unfavorable circumstances. Would you pray this prayer along with us and for us? Your agreement in this important life matter is greatly appreciated.

Waiting On The Tarmac!

Many have asked - "Are you in North Carolina yet?" The update is - not yet. We're still waiting. Waiting on the sell of our home. We know it will happen - but it hasn't yet.

Have you ever boarded a plane for a business trip or a vacation, found your seat, settled in, fastened your seatbelt and prepared for takeoff only to have the captain announce that you would be sitting on the tarmac for a while? If you have, then you know exactly how we're feeling right now. I don't know of anyone who likes waiting on the tarmac. Especially when it seems to be for an extended amount of time.

While we're waiting on the tarmac we're learning some valuable lessons. At the foundation of each lesson is faith. We continue to stand firm in what we know God has spoken concerning our future but we confess that in our time on the tarmac our faith is occasionally challenged. God has been faithful and continually gives us encouragement from His word. Cammie and I have involved ourselves in personal and in-depth study of particular passages of scripture as we seek to understand prayer, faith and God's master plan. During our time on the tarmac we recognize that God is giving us valuable ministry material that we will use in our future.

Please continue to pray for the sell of our home. We'll keep you updated.