We talk about them, ogle them, reminisce about memories we have of them and worry about their welfare. In many ways, the American love affair with our homes is typical of the patterns in a troubled romantic obsession.  Our rapt attention as we watch the object of our affection on numerous TV shows is indicative of how deeply we are in love with the "idyllic vision" of our homes.

Recently Newsweek Magazine profiled a new book by Daniel McGuinn called "House Lust:  America's Obsession With Our Homes."  According to McGinn " The existence of the real-estate gossip columnist is just one more bizarre indicator of our fascination with homes, which continues even as housing values have fallen."

We not only want to know where celebrities live, we want to see exactly what their private spaces look like and what they have in their refrigerators...witness the popularity of Cribs. Even the prospect of diminishing house values has not dimmed our ardor.

But that's the thing with lust...it's desire can never be adequately satisfied.  There is always a grinding need for more and more.  It's an addiction which enslaves and distorts.  While most Americans are well aware of the crisis that has beset the housing and mortgage industry, many still can't believe that they will be negatively affected. The fall-out of this refusal to accept this harsh market reality is evident in price reductions for homes in the tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars at times.

In fact, McGinn indicates that a survey by Boston Consulting Group showed that 55 percent of Americans still think their homes are GAINING IN VALUE despite all evidence to the contrary. If you factor in the percentage who believe that housing prices are simply at a stalemate, I daresay the number would be closer to 75%. This is an astonishingly high Delusion Rate!

And as a testament to this belief, it is expected that Americans will spend 170 Billion dollars this year remodelling and renovating their homes.  Many will do so in the expectation of increasing their home value in a rapidly declining market. And belief is a powerful thing.  More than once in the past, American optimism has created lemonade out of lemons.

Remember the tech bubble?  It preceded the current real estate crisis. Those were the days in which anything that ended with .com seemed to garner froth-like admiration and the sky is the limit financing options.  When the boom turned to bust, thousands of programmers and entrepreneurs found themselves without jobs and the ardor for all things techie cooled substantially. 

Well, there may be good that comes about as a result of this re-evaluation of our obsession with real estate too.  Just like a good, stable relationship can't be sustained solely on the basis of giddiness, the sobering reality of declining prices, foreclosures and short sales may force us to take a good long hard look at what means to live in community.

For many Americans, the home became the piggy bank. A source of funding for all sorts of projects, whims, passions and fantasies through the vehicle of the home equity loan.  This spending spree banked on one precariously ridiculous notion. This was that home prices would continue their dramatic ascension forever.  The correction of reality grounded by gravitational forces which bring all things that go up back down...eventually may in the end prove to be an important grounding principle which steadies our economy and allows us to reassess where we place our value.

Our homes are the solid building blocks which anchor what America stands for.  They are where families are raised, dreams are born and life is lived and relished in all it's various expressions.  Although its' been fun to flirt and make houses bigger and flashier, trade and obsess about them, nip and tuck to stage them for success, ultimately it's not about what we do to our homes, but what our homes do for us.  Perhaps we will discover that our somewhat maniacal obsessing will never match the rewards that arise out of of the commitment, nurture and creation of solid human relationships. That's not a Lust thing...it's a Love Thing!

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

With interest rates dropping to their lowest levels since 2004, the home equity loan re-finance bug is itching a lot of folks again. As we approach the Spring Market which traditionally swings into full gear around March, home buyers will be able to take advantage of low interest rates and a large inventory selection of homes to buy. 

If you currently own a home and intend to sell it, it's important to coordinate your transactions properly so you do not find yourself making two mortgage payments.  Failing to sell one home before purchasing is a tremendous source of financial hardship to many home owners. There are some steps which you can take to help you to avoid being trapped by your Trade-Up Home. 

1. Know Your Values?

Many home owners make the mistake of relying on old data to determine the equity that they have in their home.  In today's market with the shifting sands of changing value, an appraisal which is older than 60-90 days is probably NOT an accurate indicator of the current value for homes in your neighborhood.  The average home Sale in Grand Rapids, Michigan has decreased almost 22% since 2005 from $121,000 to just under $100,000 today.

2.  Steer Clear of the Loan Guessing Game!

It is vitally important to get pre-approved for a new loan. Credit lending standards have tightened considerably within the last 3 months due to the sub-prime lending crisis. 

Don't assume that because you qualified for a mortgage last year, the same terms and conditions still apply.  To avoid an unfortunate surprise, get an updated, valid pre-approval letter from your lender which includes: verification of your credit, mortgage or rent payment history and verification of your employment. 

If you own a home you intend to sell, verify the balance and pay-offs for your current loan.  This will give you an accurate indication of how much money you may be able to spend towards the purchase of your new home.

3.  Sell First!

If you own a home and don't want to be strapped down with supporting two mortgage payments...Sell Your Home First and then buy your new home.  With the incredible array of properties for sale, the idea that your dream home will vanish if you don't act now is probably not as big a problem as holding onto your old home for a year while making monthly payments will be.

4. Don't Leave Cash on the Table!

If you're buying another home, most home owners want to get as much as possible out of the home they are selling.  This is normal and has a certain logic to it.  However, taken to extremes, many home owners have inadvertently hurt themselves by holding on far too long to a declining asset.  If you're moving to a more expensive home, negotiate hard to get concessions on your new home purchase. 

A 10% concession on a $200,000 home will more than make up for a 5% loss on a $100,000 home. When you factor in the additional 3 ~5 months of mortgage payments which you may be making while you wait for a buyer rather than pricing your home to Sell...well, it can run up to be quite a loss. 

5.  Spiff, Clean & Repair!

In a market with a lot of competition,  your home must look it's best if you intend to sell it at the best price the market can support.  Home buyers are looking for value and the first indicator of value is curb appeal and general appearance.  Here's a link to a Staging article which provides some tips about staging your home for sale.

6.  Coordinate Your Exit Strategy...

There are few things more stressful than closing on your home and having nowhere to stay.  If you are buying a new home, sometimes there can be delays in obtaining permits or in completing the building process. 

Even a home which is not new can present unforeseen challenges with move out dates. It is best to give yourself a little overlap time if you need to coordinate a move to a new home or currently occupied home.  A good real estate agent will factor this into your contract negotiations.

Don't allow the purchase of your Brand New Trade Up Model to become a nightmare. At Audu Real Estate, we strive to coordinate the home purchasing and home closing process for a smooth stream-lined transaction.  If you would like to learn more about our services, please visit our website.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

Although the Good Neighbor Awards highlight Realtors efforts in the community once a year, they cannot truly capture the full scope of what Realtors are doing in neighborhoods all across the country.  This blog post is about one such agent...a lady with Keller Williams in Grand Rapids, Michigan named Michelle Gordon AND a project which is transforming homes and engaging the commitment of volunteers all across West Michigan called F.L.O.W...Friends Landscaping Our World. 

Michelle moved to the Grand Rapids, Michigan area approximately 7 years ago not knowing anyone.  She quickly built up her business and the referrals started coming in.  She soon realized that the economic downturn in Michigan had affected lower income neighborhoods severly and left many new home owners without the resources to landscape their yards. Never one to miss a challenge, she created a non-profit organization with a vision to change people's lives.

FLOW...Friends Landscaping Our World!

Grand Rapids, MI

When you meet or speak with Michelle Gordon, a Keller Williams agent in Grand Rapids, Mi you can't escape one thing...her Passion!

Michelle is a woman on a mission to change Grand Rapids, Michigan neighborhoods one yard at a time. This compassion for others is transforming our community. Here's Michelle in her own words:

"I am Michelle Gordon – Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. I work with many lower income families. Due to the current Real Estate market, homes have become very affordable. The ones that are the MOST affordable happen to be homes that have been vacant for a long time. Therefore you can imagine what the yards must look like."

For many real estate agents, the sale of a home at an affordable price would be the success story. Not for Michelle.

Over the last year, Michelle has enlisted the support of the Women's Council of Realtors and several landscaping companies and a host of volunteers.

Together, they are landscaping homes in communities hit hard by the economic downturn in Michigan and restoring Pride of Ownership.

Join FLOW for a Garden Party:
September 27, 2007
At: Sans Chez Bistro
When: 6 ~9 p.m.
*Vote on Your Favorite Yard Transformation.

To Make a Donation Contact:

Mary Kent mkent@kentcountyhome.com


To read more about Michelle's story and to join the FLOW Movement, visit her on her blog:

http://friendslandscapingourworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/personal-thoughts-from-michelle-gordon.html

Details

Asking Price:

Priceless!

MLS:

Grand Rapids, Mi Homes

Contact Info

Lola Audu
Associate Broker, CRS GRI

Cell 616-293-3813
Dir 616-791-0511
Email | Website

In yesterday's sermon, my pastor juxtaposed two 24 hour periods which coincidentally occur next to each other at the beginning of this week. This past Sunday was the Sanctity of Life Sunday  and today is the Celebration of Martin Luther King Day which commemorates the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. who was born on January 15th.  In his sermon, our pastor mentioned these two significant dates as he shared his thoughts regarding what it means to Become A Child Again...and what it means to Receive and Release the Grace of Forgiveness. 

After the service, I was in conversation with a couple who were probably in their early twenties during this turbulent period in the 1960's.  As they shared their experiences of what that period was like, the elderly white man fought to choke back tears.  He said.."Why do people have to hate so much...Why?"  Then he turned to me and asked..."So what does the Celebration of Martin Luther King Day mean to you?"

It's interesting that this sermon and this conversation was taking place just after what has been termed "The Most Segregated Hour in America."  I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan which has more churches per capita than any other city in the United States.  If that remarkable statment by Dr. Martin Luther King is is true, that means each week, for a couple of hours, I am in a place in which the dark cloak of religious observances obscures an even deeper darkness within the human heart.  For you see, today...almost 40 years after Martin Luther gave his I Have A Dream Speech, only 7% of churches nationwide are integrated!

Grand Rapids, Michigan is home to some mega churches.  Mega church is a term descriptive of congregations above 2,000.  In fact, some statistics indicate that mega churches are the fastest growing churches in America.  Yet even these colossal structures struggle to integrate their gigantic audiences on Sunday mornings. In Grand Rapids, we also have access to Christian TV. Invariably, a quick glance at the screen reveals who is speaking by the color of the audience. 

So, I've been thinking about it.  What would the workplace look like if business followed the same rules that have continued to dictate the norms of church goers? What would our universities produce in the way of scholarship and academics if people of color were excluded?  What would happen to our hospitals if doctors and nurses from other countries were limited to a paltry 7%?  Who would clean our hotel rooms and harvest our produce if the 7% rule combined with the brown paper bag test to determine eligibility for work?  And where would our military be if bravery was restricted to what you looked like instead of what you were able to do on the battlefield?

Today, in all aspects of American life, integration works because it has to.  To compete on the world stage, we can't afford to negate our talent and intellectual wealth on the basis of the color of the skin.  But, in the place where it counts the most...the heart, Americans still struggle.  Prejudice, by the way is not an American thing...it's a human thing.  It's that dark side of the human psyche that urges separation, disdain and disregard for another human being.  It's the small part of i which must step on another in oder to feel significant enough.  It's the cowardly side of me which fears what I do not know or understand. 

And...it is a taught thing.  No baby comes into the world possessing it.  Children have to be socialized to absorb the fear.  And then life's experiences reinforce the mistrust.  I grew up abroad.  Yet, I went to school with a lot of white kids.  From time to time they would forget that I was a different color and talk frankly about Africans. Now, these were missionary kids.  Children whose parents were on a mission from God...to save lost souls in a foreign country. In exasperation one day I said..."Don't you guys realise that you're talking about me when you say these things?"  They looked at me in surprise.  It was then I understood another powerful revelation about prejudice.

Prejudice is largely an unconscious evil. We have to be deeply separted from the intimacy of the human experience to blur recognition of ourselves when we encounter another human being. This poison seeps so deeply into the human soul that many of us can no longer touch it or acknowledge its control in our lives. In prejudice we entertain a deep level of absence from who we are created to be.

We may be  largely unaware that our choices are determined by a perverted guidance. We may never have questioned it and so it remains largely unexamined. So, that is why, after working all day in environments in which we meet all sorts of different people, some of whom become friends...we retreat to our private domains.  And none so fiercely as the cloistered ranks of Sunday Morning Church.

On Sunday evening, ABC News carried a broadcast about a small largely black church in Ohio which has determined to close it's doors once a month and go to visit it's neighbors in their churches.  When  Pastor Biggers was interviewed he spoke about "Closing His Doors" and "Opening His Heart."  Pastor Biggers understands that prejudice is as much a black thing as it it a white thing as it is a red thing or whatever color you want to put on it. He gets it...Its a human thing.

And that's the crux of the issue...the condition of our hearts.  So when my pastor spoke about forgiveness yesterday and the need to become like a child, he was absolutely right.  We can never truly honor the sanctity of life and understand what Martin Luther's Dream was all about until we forgive each other from the heart.  It is childlike humility and openess which allows the scars of the past to be exposed to the light and the power of forgiveness which enables us to reach out and touch our brothers and sisters without malice.  And the truth is...that we must do this for ourselves.  Because avoidance dehumanizes and dimishes all of us like it or not.

So, what does the Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther Kings' birthday mean to me?  Well, it is a call of personal and communal affirmation. It means that once again the nation remembers its' higher calling.  It is a reminder that our deepest connection is a spiritual connection which transcends all the divisions which superficially separate us.  It is a stark reminder that we will know that our nation has truly begun to heal when Sunday Morning begins to look like the rest of America does during the week.

* As an additional note, An Event is being planned for June 29th, 2008  called Missions Sunday.  This event is aimed at encouraging congregations of different races to visit each other.  The goal is to have 1000 churches participate with their members across America .

*These pictures were forwarded to me by fellow Active Rainer Carol Smith from Toledo, Ohio.  Thank You Carol.  I hope this article portrays the Spirit in which you sent them.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

*Here's the link to read Parts 1 & 2 of this Series.

One of the most unexpected obstacles to potential prospects coming into an Open House is an item which has been your long time alley in marketing your Grand Rapids, Michigan home.  Your Real Estate Sign! 

When Signs Reveal too Much...

Sometimes a sign tells a buyer who stops by an Open House too much.  For instance, many real estate agents will place a brochure box on your For Sale Sign so that motorist can stop and pick up a brochure with information about your home.  While this is great when you don't want unexpected visitors, it can be a problem when you want people to come in and they grab a brochure instead.

Empty That Brochure Box!

So, for starters, make sure your real estate sign does NOT have a Full Brochure Box when you have an Open House.  This does not mean that you should minimize your sign.  On the contrary...Your sign can be a great tool.  Remember that your sign is being driven by daily.  Motorist may block it out subconsciously because they are used to seeing it. 

An Open House is the time to dress up your sign in it's Sunday Best! 

Make it burst with color using large helium balloons.  Tie a number of these around your mailbox too.  You may want to have a few balloons tied to signs directing passersby to your home.  Balloons invite people to a party.  You want them to feel like you're giving one when you Advertise an Open House.

Paying attention to these simple things can be very important.  Always remember, you don't need 100 potential prospects tramping through your home to buy it...You only need the Right One...The Qualified, Ready, Willing and Able Buyer for your home!

In Part 4 We will be talking about Getting The Word Out!

If you'd like more information about the Home Selling Process or would like to speak with one of our knowledgeable agents, contact Audu Real Estate or e-mail us at: info@auduhomes.com

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 This post is a part of a Series.  Click here for Part 1How Come No One Came To Visit My Open House? (Part 1) :

We continue our exploration of some of the reasons why we observe diminished attendance at Open Houses and possible solutions to aid in Successfully marketing a home in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

"How Come No One Came to the Open House?"  It's a question that haunts the home owner who spent time preparing the house for surprise guests and the real estate agent who invested time and money in advertising and waiting for visitors who never showed up. 

Open Houses have always had an element of risk associated with them. When you hold your home Open to the public without pre-qualification, you may just be conducting a house tour...not a true marketing activity.

Yet, Open Houses are widely regarded by most home owners as an important tool in exposing a home to the local market.  In the past 24 months, we have observed a marked decline in the number of visitors to open houses in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.

While, I am not aware of any "scientific studies" about why Open House attendance in Grand Rapids has declined, in some cases precipitously, there are some industry shifts which have made Open House visiting less attractive to prospective home buyers.  The most significant shift has been the rise of the Internet as the primary tool used to initiate a home buying search. 

When a home is viewed on line, there are often a number of images which show various parts of the home's interior.  Many buyers no longer even drive by homes they want to see.  They merely click on the images and descriptions and dismiss a home within seconds if the pictures  shown do not seem to  warrant further investigation.

Unintended Consequences:  

Although this does eliminate some of the stresses of searching, it can also have some hidden repercussions which can limit the ability of a home buyer to make the best choice. For instance, a home may actually look wonderful, but if the agent does not know how to use a digital camera correctly or how to edit the picture, buyers may be tempted to discount it. 

I've seen $500,000 homes on line with pictures that were so large, it was impossible to load them quickly or to see the entire room without scrolling extensively from side to side on the screen.  Have you looked at your listing on line?  What kind of marketing is your real estate agent doing to highlight the best Features of your home?

This series will be continued in Part 2...

Click Here to read other blog posts in this series.

Audu Real Estatepresents homes in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a wide variety of applications which include digital photography,  engaging story telling, blogging and animating slide shows.  You can e-mail us at:  info@auduhomes.com for more information about how our pro-active approach to Marketing Homes can help bring qualified buyers for your property.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies

Part 2 ~ Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies

In this series, we've explored some of the pros and cons of blogging and it's implications for Real Estate brokers. We've been reviewing a number of issues highlighted in the book, "The New Influencer's" in which the focus is primarily on corporate blogging. 

In this last post in the series, we will look at the final three Rules of Engagement that the author Paul Gillin discusses and briefly comment on some applications for the real estate industry.

Thou Shalt Comment...Thou Shalt Not Be Silent!

Responding to comments, according to Gillin is an important part of blogging etiquette and protocol. According to his survey, 71 percent of bloggers comment on at least four or more blogs per month.  He also indicates that comments make up a staggering 30% of blogosphere content.  Amongst experienced bloggers, the response rate to comments is closer to 93%.

However, not every blog allows comments and although this is considered somewhat controversial, there may be good reasons to consider this option as a broker. 

The most obvious is that if you will not be able to respond or direct someone with the responsibility of responding in a timely manner, it's best to turn this feature off. There are few things more disorienting on a blog than readers asking questions of a host who is largely absent.

Another reason to turn off comments is if your blog is attracting comments which violate Fair Housing guidelines or just plain good taste.  Sometimes temporarily disrupting the comment feature will take care of this. (Active Rain has just enabled a feature which will allow comments to be turned off 1/18/2007)

Thou Shalt Not Blather...Thou Shalt Not Be A Bore!

The main point made by Gillin is that posts should not be excessively long.  Many blogging platforms have word counters that can help you calibrate the length of an individual post.  The recommended length of a blog post is 250 ~ 500 words.  Writers who have an engaging style of communication can get away with longer posts but even they are cautioned to shorten the length when possible.

Can blog posts be too short? Gillin suggests that in some cases, the answer is YES.  Continually blogging below 250 words and relying on links to other pages is OK if all you want to be is a research tool.  However, if you are interested in influencing and engaging the conversation, people want to know what you think.  Verbosity or the lack of it can be a double aged sword!

Thou Shalt Channel Information Responsibly...If It's Your Aim to be Taken Seriously!

The blogosphere's power is Influence.  There is NO HIERARCHY of Authority.  Authority and respect generally flows towards those who are perceived to have earned it and who do not subsequently squander with reckless abandon the loyalty accorded to them.  From a brokerage standpoint, this has enormous implications.  Most brokerages spend a great deal of time and money carefully cultivating a solid reputation. 

Real Estate is a people business and blogs afford brokers and corporations an unparalleled opportunity to deepen client relationships and provide added Value and Education prior, during and after the real estate transaction.  They can be a potent vehicle to cement brand loyalty if managed correctly.  Real Estate Brokers have a lot of different issues to consider as they ponder how to engage in the Web 2.0 environment.  I would recommend Paul Gillin's book, The New Influencers as an excellent resource for brokers interested in exploring these issues further.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

I've passed this place oodles of times on my way to the Schuler bookstore on 28th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  But this time, I decided to call the number on the window 616-464-3222 to see what the Main Dish was all about.

Well, I'm glad I did. By the time, the lady on the phone finished describing some of the meal options which were available, I was intrigued enough to turn around my car and pop into the store to see things for myself. 

The Main Dish Kitchen is a commercial enterprise which allows customers to prepare their own food or to take out pre-packaged food prepared on-site.  I love the idea of a local business making hand-made foods at a reasonable price. 

If you're looking for a creative, minimal hassle dish to plate up for dinner...pick-up for a delicious lunch, dinner or snack at this local business is highly recommended! 

The Main Dish features a wide variety of entrees, desserts, sandwiches, appetizers and soups.  All entrees are prepped on-site and most can be purchased in a thawed state or frozen solid for storage.

Most of the menu was designed by Chef Pete Webster.  I picked up a burrito casserole,  Chef Pete's heavenly cornbread and a Chocolate Pecan Pie.  The meal, which was enough for my family of 4 was about $30.  The food was absolutely delicious.  And better yet, all I had to do was put it in the oven!

As I mentioned earlier, you can pick up food or go to special sessions where you can prep your own food to take home. Visit their website or call to see what items are on the menu for the prep class you're interested in attending.  The Best part of the prep classes is that you can season the food to your own specifications and there's no mess to clean up later!

If you're not in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, you may still be able to take advantage of the Main Dish Dining options.  Store locations include:  Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dayton, Ohio, and Madison, Wisconsin.

Here's info you can use to contact the Main Dish Kitchen in Grand Rapids, Mi: Phone:  616-464-3222

Copyright 2008  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

I've always been fascinated by the Apostle Peter.  Perhaps, because I find it so easy to relate to his impulsive, talkative nature and his propensity for speaking from his heart. My favorite story about Peter is related in several different gospels. But only the Gospel of Mathew actually tells us about Peter's water walking adventure. The other two gospels only focus  on Jesus walking on the wingtips of the waves.

Here's a brief recap of the tale if you're not familiar.  The disciplines have just finished cleaning up one of those monumental miracle events for which Jesus was famous.  A Dinner created and multiplied from 5 loaves and 2 small fish has just been served to 5,000 men besides women and children. There's even leftovers! 

Afterwards, Jesus tells the disciples to get in the boat and head towards the other side of the shore of the sea of Galilee while he dismisses the enormous crowd.  As the day darkens into evening, Jesus is alone on the shore and the disciples are still trying to make it to the other side of the lake. They're having major difficulty because of stormy weather related conditions which have produced huge waves. 

Somewhere between 3:00 a.m. ~ 6:00 a.m. in the morning, (the fourth watch of the night in Roman tradition), they are haunted by a  strange phenomenon. Terrified, they observe a figure walking towards them across the tidal waves and they are sure they are being visited by an apparition from the netherworld.  But the voice of Jesus calls out to them to assure them saying, "Take courage! It is I.  Don't be afraid." (Matthew 14:27)

Now, this is what I love about Peter. He's not afraid to challenge the ghost.  He talks back!  In spite of his very real real fears he says..."Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." While many sermons I've heard over the years focused on the fact that Peter steps out on the water and begins to sink, what has always held a peculiar fascination for me is that Peter didn't allow his Fear to define the parameters of engagement.  He challenges "the ghost" to prove itself.

Peter gets out of the boat and actually dares to do the impossible!  In-spite of huge waves, driving winds...he finds himeself walking on top of large looming waves of water.  But circumstances have their way of bearing down on all of us.  As he begins to look at the predicament in which he has just placed himself by stepping out of the relative safety of a boat and into the deep uncertainty of an unchartered course, he realises he's in deep trouble and rapidly begins to sink.  But not before asking for some divine assistance..."Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:30)

And God does!  Reaching out a hand, Jesus catches him and in an instant, the impetuous disciple and his Master are back in the boat.  But not before Jesus chides Peter for his doubting.  I think perhaps he must have truly enjoyed those few moments of watching Peter step outside himself.  Can you imagine that show...two men totally in defiance of the laws of gravity and turning all the rules and laws of nature upside down.  Can't blame Jesus for wanting Peter to do it for just a tad longer...

I can imagine the conversation of the other 11 who remained in the boat.  They're probably too terrified to stop Peter, but probably NO ONE says "That's a great idea Peter, Go For it!" In fact, they're probably wishing Peter would just SHUT UP.  Maybe whatever it is out there will just GO AWAY instead of come towards them.  But, NO...blabber mouth has to speak up and then jump out of the boat in the middle of a storm.  But, they can't help but watch.  To their surprise, Peter's doing it...He's walking on a Lake!

You see, Jesus command is not just to Peter who is marooned on a watery highway, it's to everyone within hearing distance who needs to hear the message.  He is clear and precise..."Don't BE AFRAID, TAKE COURAGE."  Why is this important.  I think it's because he's showing us a powerful lesson.  The water and the waves did NOT have the power to destroy Peter or drown the boat contrary to what they assumed.  Peter's walking on the water had clearly demonstrated that nothing is impossible.  Rather it was their FEAR which was the biggest hindrance to their deliverance.  He instructs them in one passage to "TAKE COURAGE."  Instead of succumbing to the shrill call of FEAR, take the powerful, life restoring grace of COURAGE.

And it works!  Instantly, the wind dies down and they are able to steer the boat safely towards the shore.  There's a powerful message in this ancient story for the stormy conditions which are over shadowing the real estate industry right now.  The winds of adversity and the waves of bad news are swelling with intensity on a daily basis.  Many have already been overcome and succumbed to the the reality of not being able to support themselves and their families. 

But for every boat full of fearful people, there's a Peter.  Look for them during these times. Folks who are not afraid to call it like they see it...not afraid to ride the lions mane if it means it's the last breath they take.  You might have someone like this in your office or hear about their exploits.  Don't waste your breath deriding these brave hearts for being silly and out of tune with reality.  TAKE THEIR COURAGE.  This is their unique gift. 

We've always had these inspirational souls in our midst.  They are disciples disguised in the garb of ordinary affairs.  They are the Abraham Lincolns who said NO to Slavery even at the cost of perhaps irreparably damaging the union.  These brave souls may be bent over men & women like Gandhi or Mother Teresa who challenged the status quo with a bull horn that was much louder than any sounds that emanated from their frail frames.  Or they may be a mother, teacher or mentor who challenged you to move on by leading the way when you'd all but given up.

The point is, A WAY will always be provided to those who choose to TAKE COURAGE rather than hold onto FEAR.  So, if you're struggling with looming waves of uneasiness and despair, you're not alone.  There were 11 others who remained in the boat.  Remember that the miracle working power resides within you.  Peter walked on his own two feet not those belonging to Jesus.  Use what you've got and step out.  Don't allow yourself to be overtaken by the storm...Use What is IN YOU to tame it! 

Versions of this story can be found in the following Gospels:

Matthew 14:13-36, Mark 6:30-56, John 6:15-24 

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