Weichert INSITES - News you can use...

Valuable information for buyers and sellers. If you are selling your house, insight as to what buyers are looking for in a home is priceless. According to the results of the Next Home Survey recently presented by Eliot Nusbaum, executive editor at Better Homes and Gardens magazine, consumers are taking a "cents and sensibilities" approach when buying a home. For those buyers planning to purchase a new home in the coming months, price, energy-efficiency, organization and comfort are their top priorities. This is in sharp contrast to several years ago, when the focus was on large homes with expensive touches. The Next Home Survey also found that: 87 percent of respondents would like a greener, more energy efficient home. 68 percent wanted an outdoor grilling and living area. 59 percent wanted a home office. 36 percent said their next home would be somewhat smaller or much smaller.

Plan B

I follow the blog Jesus Needs New PR by Matthew Paul Turner. He is a great writer. He wrote recently about his pastor who has a book coming out. I watched the trailer and found tears streaming down my face. I look forward to reading it and thought I would share it with you. Pete Wilson, is the pastor of Crosspoint church. Although I do not live in Nashville where his church is I do listen to his teachings. He delivers such a strong message and goes a bit deeper which is where I love to go.

So what happens when your plan A does not work out? I have been so fearful for so long to even think of a plan b in my life. So angry, confused, sad and left wondering why if God loves me so much would he withhold my plan A from me? Life is tough,painful and sometimes so overwhelming you just can't breath. I pray that if you are fearful of plan B that you will be given the peace to move out of your comfort zone and explore what else God has in store for you. Here's to taking that first step together..

Sweetheart night

Last night Dustin and I went to a friends church to enjoy Sweetheart night. It was a fun filled night of fellowship with friends, delicious desserts and music by Matt and Kim Goss. Dustin and I left with this beautiful flower since we were the couple at our table married the closest to 25 years. I hope all of you had a wonderful Valentines day and will remember to love the ones we love not just on valentines day but every day of the year..

To do List continued..

The last couple of days have been relaxing and productive. I embraced the blizzard of 2010 and embraced balance between productivity and relaxation. I feel pretty good about the list of things I completed and thought I would share them with you..

1. All wash is done AND put away

2. Cleaned our bedroom and bath

3. Spare bedroom cleaned and organized and closet project list is complete so I can tackle that at a later date.

4. Upstairs bathroom sparkling clean

5. Entire downstairs is cleaned and organized

6. Completed my book club book and caught up on all discussions

7. Ample time to read teachings and online research

8. Organized my workspace/desk downstairs

9. Talked with friends and family and had good for the soul conversations

I think that is it for right now. Needless to say I was busy but also took time to relax and enjoy the silence of life. I am excited for my hubby to come home from his trip and enjoy the scene I have set for him when he arrives home to a clean house, project lists and a freshly made/washed bed for him to crawl into after sleeping away from home for 5 days. I did not get to everything on my to do list from earlier in my blog but I added a few others and feel pretty good about what I have accomplished.

PS- Add to this list of course shoveling- lots and lots of shoveling!!

TGIF!

Pages

As the pages of your life are written may you always remember that God is with you, guiding you. May he be your raincoat in the storm and be praised while it is raining and when the sun is shining. May your book be one that can inspire another as they read the pages of your life. May it be one that they will want to share with others to bring inspiration for all who read them. Let your pages be the legacy you leave for others who will live on after you have gone home...

Chapter Clip - Same kind of Different as me

God gives each person on the earth a set of keys, keys to live this life down here on earth. Now in this set, there is one key you can use to unlock prison doors and set captives free.

Denver turned his head just slightly so that the right side of his face was closer to me than the left. He leaned in with his right shoulder and narrowed his eyes even farther. "Mr. Ron , I was captive in the devils prison. That was easy for Miss Debbie to see. But I got to tell you: many folks had seen me behind the bars in that prison for more than thirty years, and they just walked on by. Kept their keys in their pocket and left me locked up. Now I ain't tryin to run them other folks down, cause I was not a nice fella- dangerous - and probly just as happy to stay in prison. But Miss Debbie was different - she seen me behind them bars and reached way down in her pocket and pulled out the keys God gave her and used one to unlock the prison door and set me free.

Denver pounded home those last words like eight separate nails, then sat back in his chair, sipped his coffee. He put the mug down. "She the onlyest person that ever loved me enough not to give up on me, and I praise God that today I can sit here in your home a changed man- a free man.

_____________________________________

This is such a good book. As I read this book my eyes are filling up with tears. Such an amazing story, one that will stay with me forever. I love learning, growing and joining along in the journey of ones story whether face to face with them in life or in reading a book. So good for the soul.

MORE SNOW!

So today I am snowed in again! We are getting another major storm here in Lancaster. I have not seen this much snow in a long time. I am thankful for a fenced in yard so that I can just let my dogs out to explore as I stay warm inside. They are so funny to watch. This is even too much snow for my snow dogs. They look confused and disappointed that all the tunnels they created are now all covered. I will soon have to bundle up and go out to shovel but for now I am going to curl up with the book I am reading with a book club. It is so good but heart wrenching. I am working my way to the next stopping point so I can embrace the discussions with other's reading and learn how this book is impacting them.

Happy Snow Day!!

Peace Making or Truth Telling

There comes a point in your life when you will be faced with telling the truth. Telling the truth when that truth may be hard for someone to hear. Being honest with someone you see making bad choices is showing what it is to be real. Showing that you are not going to continue to ignore things that need fixed. Are you choosing peace making over truth telling? Is it time to be honest with someone about the things they are doing to themselves or others? If so I encourage you to be honest with them but do so remembering the following:

Always think before speaking and speak the truth when necessary.

Love and Truth go together. Think about how your words can come from your heart in a loving way.

Do not underestimate the power of what your words of truth can do for another

Their decision is their choice. Even if they lie and do not tell the truth or even hear your words of truth you go to bed knowing you spoke the truth.

The truth shall set you free and who knows who else along the way...

Snow of 2010

Today we had a fun snow day! We got almost 20 inches of snow..

Here is Aspen in her hideaway in the snow

Breck peaking out through the fence

Walkway leading to the front door

Breck walking in a tunnel in the back yard

Our patio furniture. This is where I like to sit in the sun when it is nice weather out

A place to rest from shoveling

Even though I am not much of a cold weather person I am thankful for beautiful days like this that I am able to spend the day at home sipping hot chocolate and spending time with my best friend in the whole wide world, the love of my life Dustin.

Thank you God for this beautiful day...

To do list...

As the snow is falling I sit here snuggled up in a blanket thinking of what I need to get done with my snow day. I am going to try to be productive with the time while I am snowed in. So what is on your To Do list? Here are some of the things I would like to get completed.

1. Get caught up on reading

2. Organize my desk and files

3. Wash

4. Make appointment for Breck to get a bath

5. Taxes - YUCK

Here are just a few things. The most important thing, although it is not on my list, is spend time with my hubby since he has an upcoming trip to Colorado to go skiing. I will miss him!

Happy weekend fellow bloggers,

Anne

The next chapter

So with much thinking and praying I have made the decision to leave the John Smith Real Estate Group and join the Weichert Realtors team! This is a decision that I am very excited about although I will miss all the people that I am leaving behind. I do know though that God will allow those friendships to continue to grow even if we are not working together anymore. I have learned a lot while on my journey in E-Town with the John Smith Team but feel like God has opened another door for me that I wanted to take the opportunity to explore. Being the closing coordinator was a great way for me to continue to learn and grow in real estate but I am now looking forward to having my own schedule back as I am now going back to full time sales. I am back to working from home and getting more balance back into my life. I look forward to growing in my faith as the lord opens doors of opportunity for me. Like I have been told before, a rolling stone never gathers moss. Here's to new chapters in life and looking forward to what the future holds!