Tag: #christmasmiracle

It’s A Christmas Miracle, the story of our second vehicle!

On By David CarterIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Ever since David started his real-estate journey, approximately fourteen months ago, we have been a one-car family. Actually, upon reflection, we have not owned two vehicles since 2012. (His work van did not count as “ours”, although it was a blessing to have to commute with). Seeing that number of months is crazy to wrap my head around. I don’t know how we did it with two littles and two very different schedules. David and I have prayed for the provision of a second vehicle since October 2016. I suppose we are picky, because we couldn’t drive a clunker (not in the real estate business). It became a frequent saying of David’s because he had so much favor this year in real estate, he would tell his coworkers, “Hey man, if I can sell houses in a mini-van, what’s your excuse?” And the Honda Odyssey was (and is) serving us well. Our requirements for a second car were: it had to be big enough to fit 3 car seats (in case the Honda is ever out of commission in the shop) and it had to be new enough and reliable for David’s work commute and presentable to go to appointments. Also, David has a thing for Toyota 4Runners. We are also still making car payments on the Honda, so for our family, it didn’t make sense to take out a second car loan. Going into more debt just didn’t seem like the best option for us. No, we were not picky in the least…

Opportunities would come up to look for a car, or maybe put a down payment on something, but we kept hearing “wait…”

I am so grateful over the past fourteen months to have had rides from family and friends who were willing to take us to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store and run errands for us throughout that “waiting period.” I am thankful that we live a mile away from a CVS and Harris Teeter and two gas stations and a bank (if I needed to walk, I could). It made me exercise and get the kids outside. I am so thankful for our double stroller that enabled us to make those walks. I am thankful that there is a playground in our neighborhood and plenty of walking space to get us out of the house. I’m thankful for the mommies and littles of “The Mommy Group” who came to my house to entertain us weekly and help me keep my sanity. Most of all, I’m so thankful that God has given David an incredible work-ethic and an amazing job that has enabled us to put a down payment on a friend’s 2003, Toyota 4Runner and pay it off fully by Spring.

Many thanks to our generous friends who are letting us buy their Toyota, it is going to be such a blessing to us! Y’all have championed us while we lamented and dreamed of a second vehicle. You are awesome friends, who saw our need as a family. Now they are being blessed with a third car (and wanted to bless someone else with their Toyota) and they said they thought of us. We are so thankful for their generosity and friendship!

I’m telling you guys, the year is not over yet and God is still working! We didn’t have the money anymore for a down payment, when they proposed the idea of selling their car to us. I had no clue how we were going to save up again to find something at a dealership. I just figured we would have to “make due” and somehow I was hoping God would provide before the baby arrived. (Y’all, he’s coming in 2.5 months….that is crazy!)

To our wonderful Christmas surprise, family gave us money for Christmas and these friends blessed us with a great deal of a car! THANK YOU LORD! We have wanted this for so long!! And thank you, friends, who have stood by us in prayer for this last year as we were waiting and praying to find the “right car.”

We are thankful for so many things from 2017. Lots of things happened this year, but it was truly a year of “repayment for things that had been lost.” It was repayment and growth from 2011 when we gave up so much to “say Yes!” to volunteer missions. God has given us everything back and more that we “gave up.” And the best part? HE HAS EVEN MORE TO GIVE OUT. Not just to us, but to everyone who obeys what He says to do, in every season. In this instance, David gave up his green 4Runner back in 2010. Faith came “full circle” this Christmas and he now has another (even newer) one! We are still in shock…

So, are you ready for the blessings God will give you in 2018? We are. We hope that this year is YOUR BEST YEAR, YET!

With so much love, joy and hope, Team Carter

IMG_3089

Our Christmas/New Year’s Miracle, a gift from the grandparents

On By David CarterIn Family LifeLeave a comment

Things have been moving quickly at the Carter household as we received some amazing news just a few weeks before Christmas. It all started with the Christmas tree. We hadn’t bought one yet and my grandparents called to say that they were coming over to our house with one as a gift (one of those cute plastic ones). So they come over, we set it up, they brought lights and the angel topper that they used at their house for years, and we had a great time catching up for a few hours. Then, Pops pulls out a stack of papers and says “ok, so the real reason we came over tonight was because we want you and David to think about something. We would like to offer you (if you want it) to rent the Parkway house. It’s just sitting there, not being used, and we want you to consider renting from us. Think about it.”

We slept on it, (although God was saying “take it. it’s a great opportunity. take it!” while Pops was talking). So we did! We are only paying the taxes on the house, so we will be able to pay off some more debt and be able to save some money too! What an amazing Christmas gift that we were given!! January has been so fast, trying to pack and getting the house ready to be lived in again/cleaned, ect.

(Miracles upon miracles): The weekend before we moved, we so needed a family vacation to get away from all of the stress and the chaos. For years, we had always wanted two things to happen: 1. to go on a vacation in the mountains WHILE it’s snowing and stay in a cabin, and 2. to go on vacation with the Tetrevs. There was some definite resistance to getting both of our families ready to go on this trip (from finances, to work, to cars breaking down, to the park rangers calling us and asking if we were still crazy enough to come because of the ice and snow predictions…general life craziness) but “come hell or high water, we are going!” (as they say). We finally made it to Lake Joccassee, in Salem, SC.  We stayed 4 days/3 nights in a beautiful cabin (that we were able to book half-off with a winter promotion) and split between our 2 families. AND we got snowed in! We were the only people there and had the whole campground to ourselves…in the snow! It was so restful and peaceful just to get away and literally do nothing (if you count hiking in the snow, having snowball fights, building snowmen, and watching the snow fall while sitting on a plush couch in front of a roaring fire; “nothing”.)

at 26 weeks! (not to be fair, I am wearing about 4 layers of clothes here)
hiking on the trails
Miri’s word of the weekend: “COLD”

We came back from that trip so excited and re-energized to move! We moved into the house behind Grammy and Pops (the same house they built in 1960 where my dad and his brothers grew up) on January 29th. We seriously could not have done it without the help of my dad, uncle, brothers, Pops, and our dear friends, the Tetrevs. THANK YOU! Immediately, upon moving in, we felt such sweet peace and rest.

Did I mention that it is in “the trending” neighborhood on the island at the moment, too? Did I also mention that there are lots of families around and it’s on a quiet street where Miriam can safely play in the yard without cars going by at 50 mph? There is even a sweet playground down the street! We are a block away from the water. Also, this house is a surviving time-capsule straight out of the 1960s/1970s–plenty of character and charm all over the place (definitely not a “burger house”). Here’s the thing: by ourselves, we never could have NEVER afforded a place in this neighborhood. (oh trust me, we looked, before we moved here…and it wasn’t in the budget to rent, and buying–shoot, you must be crazy!)  But not crazy enough for God. Not crazy enough for Him to align all of this in a matter of 2 months. 2 MONTHS, people! We may never know how many circumstances that God set up to move us when and where we did on Johns Island, or how He has now moved us to James Island, but all we can say is that HE IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD!

Earlier this week we found out how to hook up the old speakers that Pops had put in the living room and wired them from the front dining room to blast some worship music to celebrate.  This house was made for worship! It is amazing to me, not only that we get to steward this opportunity for our family well, but also that before the idea of this old house came to be (back when it was an old lot of nothing in the back of Grandana Jantzen’s backyard), God had imagined it as a place of worship, a house for community. Once the moving craziness has subsided, we would love to host and have people over! We can’t wait to see how God breathes life into this old house again! It’s going to be beautiful! We are so thankful to be a part of that, for as long as God has us living here!

So that being said, when can you come over?

house

In the kitchen of The Parkway House