So... the Update...

Sorry I didn't take the time to actually write anything with my last post! I wanted to get the kit loaded onto the forum, but didn't have time (or hands) to type out our update.

The short version, as I eluded to: "God is Good!" And life at our house can settle down and define a new normal.

The long version: Last week was AMAZING.

On Monday, our relocation company accepted the "fix it" invoices and officially bought our house It took 2.5 months longer than it should have due to the extensive "fix its" required -- totally unanticipated and not in our budget, either from the amount of work required or the extra months of mortgage required. I'm so thankful that we've been faithful in our investing and that we took much of Dave Ramsey's advice to heart, because truly that made it possible to really not freak out with the stress. Also, my annual bonus and a higher than normal tax refund fell into this time frame... by the grace of God, we stayed in the black, despite the fact that our output during the last three months was significantly less than our input.

Then on Wednesday, my husband was offered the position as Executive Director of a Homeless Center. This center isn't a homeless "shelter" as one would normally define it. Rather, it's a facility/organization that provides the wraparound services and fills the "gap" -- providing computer training, GED, and other life skills necessary to help the homeless population get their life back on track. Having previously worked with troubled kids (i.e. potentially on the road to homelessness), this is a total shift in the population he has worked with in the past.

This truly is the biggest "Praise God" and evidence of how He puts people, places, and experiences in your way to prepare you for what is to come. In our last home, I had two back to back Ladies Bible Studies was really the message to "wait on God" and to "give God control." I won't reiterate myself, but THIS POST details the whole thing. Suffice it to say that it really was an exercise in trust and faith, and God has again proven himself faithful.

Not only was my husband offered the job, but they came with an offer significantly higher than we anticipated. And they also are providing flex time (they don't have budget for tuition reimbursement) so that he can go back and work on his Doctorate -- and the college literally across the street from the facility has the Doc program he'd like to pursue. So the doors that are being opened simply by our willingness (though terrified in doing so) to hand over control are just absolutely blowing us away.

His first day was yesterday. We feel like we can figure out our new life in our new state and really begin to breathe again and enjoy life again.

Strangely enough, my husband getting a job also means that I should be able to start scrapping and/or designing again. With 2 kids and a full time job, I'm not exactly sure what exactly that time will look like... but hopefully it will also begin to define itself.

Anyway, so that's the whole story. As I said, "God is good!"

By the way, thanks to so many of you who have sent in little messages in response to my original update regarding giving God control. I had so many people say, "I really needed to hear that today," or something similar. That's really just another testimony to how God really puts people in place to get His message across when someone needs it most. Can I say again, "God is good!"

Thanks so much for all the support and encouragement you have offered along this little journey! They have uplifted me many times.