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.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Soggy Rain - Mini Kit
Thursday, March 20, 2008
I Finally Had Time to Scrap!!!
Oh, how good it feels!
I haven't scrapped since December. I missed it SO much, but I just haven't had time with the move and everything. Well, my husband's parents have been here all week, so my husband is working on his motorcycle with his Dad, his Mom is sewing, the kids are sleeping -- which means I'm scrapping! Sure, there are many other things I COULD be doing, but scrapping just sounded so inviting.
I didn't do any designing -- this was a purely selfish scrapping day for me. OK, so a scrapping hour. But I'll take it!
Since I scrap chronologically and refuse to go out of order unless I get the "perfect" photo that just needs my immediate attention, these photos are from last June when we visited my parents. My son especially doesn't even look the same anymore! How time flies. Quick note: My son's page is a complete scraplift of "Carver" at 2Peas (aka Veronica Ponce). I just love her work!
Anyway, no freebies and nothing to report... just wanted to check in with a couple LOs of my wonderful kidlets. Hope you're all well. Have a blessed Easter weekend.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Calendar: June Revisited
Boy, I wish it really were June! :)
I had a few people this week ask me to reupload June, because the link wasn't working right. No idea what happened to it, but I deleted the old file and put in this new one. Here is the fixed file. (link removed)
Sorry to my faithful friends -- but this isn't a NEW link/template -- just the old one fixed. I WISH I had time to scrap, but I'm still not there yet.
OK, for those of you who asked for life updates....
Here's my newest revelation. We lived in our last home/state for 2.5 years. We didn't really like it there all that much. The people were wonderful, but it just never felt like "home" to us and was really a challenging 2.5 years for us for many reasons. We felt like God led us there, but never really understood why.
As we were preparing to leave, I felt that the reason why He had us move there was because during those 2.5 years, I was very conscious of His presence in the daily things. You know how you can look back over your life and see His fingerprints on it, but you can't always see them when you're "in the moment?" Well... in our last home, despite the challenges, I could always see His fingerprints in the moment. There were so many immediate answers to prayer; both mine and those of friends around me who blessed me with sharing it. So that's why I thought He moved us there -- so we could be witness to and of His constant presence.
But now I think that was only part of it.
We've now been in our new home for about 2.5 months. My husband has been here 5.5 weeks. During that time, he's probably put out 100 resumes. He really has had ZERO calls back. He was offered a position back in December in his field (he works w/ troubled kids). However, the pay was ridiculously low (i.e. couldn't pay the bills), and the position was one he could have done in his sleep (though he would have enjoyed it). He turned them down and it has been quiet ever since.
It has been a frustrating time for both of us... my husband not understanding why no one is calling, and me not quite knowing how to respond, offer hope, help without annoying, etc. God gave my husband a VERY strong provider gene, and I know that's a gift from God -- one that He will be faithful to fulfill. But when?
And that's what I realized tonight that I learned at our last home: to trust God for His perfection, His timing, and His plan. If we try to control things in our own time, will, and comfort zone, we'll get things done... but they'll be good, not great. However, if we wait for God, we have limitless possibilities.
So about a week ago, my husband went to a staffing agency, which really wasn't the direction he wanted to go. One of the places he went was doing pro-bono HR work for a non-profit homeless shelter. They're looking to hire an Executive Director/CEO. Within his field, that would have been his next step, but this is a whole different non-profit realm than he's ever been in. Is this the challenge, the "greatness" that God wants to use Jon to do His work? He had a casual interview today to see if he was still interested after hearing their spiel. Then he'll be called in later for an official interview.
Who knows if it's what God has in store... what I do know is that in our old home, almost every Women's study I did dealt with waiting on God's timing. Not taking control into our own hands -- in doing so, we close the door on God's greatness. I'm proud of my husband for being patient even in the face of doubt and frustration. This move has been the most stressful one to date (it's our 6th state in 9.5 years of marriage). It's the move that has us saying, "This is it -- we're not moving again." Yet... if God moves us... we'll listen and obey.
Anyway... that's a WHOLE lot more than the June you asked for! :) Blessings to you all...
I had a few people this week ask me to reupload June, because the link wasn't working right. No idea what happened to it, but I deleted the old file and put in this new one. Here is the fixed file. (link removed)
Sorry to my faithful friends -- but this isn't a NEW link/template -- just the old one fixed. I WISH I had time to scrap, but I'm still not there yet.
OK, for those of you who asked for life updates....
Here's my newest revelation. We lived in our last home/state for 2.5 years. We didn't really like it there all that much. The people were wonderful, but it just never felt like "home" to us and was really a challenging 2.5 years for us for many reasons. We felt like God led us there, but never really understood why.
As we were preparing to leave, I felt that the reason why He had us move there was because during those 2.5 years, I was very conscious of His presence in the daily things. You know how you can look back over your life and see His fingerprints on it, but you can't always see them when you're "in the moment?" Well... in our last home, despite the challenges, I could always see His fingerprints in the moment. There were so many immediate answers to prayer; both mine and those of friends around me who blessed me with sharing it. So that's why I thought He moved us there -- so we could be witness to and of His constant presence.
But now I think that was only part of it.
We've now been in our new home for about 2.5 months. My husband has been here 5.5 weeks. During that time, he's probably put out 100 resumes. He really has had ZERO calls back. He was offered a position back in December in his field (he works w/ troubled kids). However, the pay was ridiculously low (i.e. couldn't pay the bills), and the position was one he could have done in his sleep (though he would have enjoyed it). He turned them down and it has been quiet ever since.
It has been a frustrating time for both of us... my husband not understanding why no one is calling, and me not quite knowing how to respond, offer hope, help without annoying, etc. God gave my husband a VERY strong provider gene, and I know that's a gift from God -- one that He will be faithful to fulfill. But when?
And that's what I realized tonight that I learned at our last home: to trust God for His perfection, His timing, and His plan. If we try to control things in our own time, will, and comfort zone, we'll get things done... but they'll be good, not great. However, if we wait for God, we have limitless possibilities.
So about a week ago, my husband went to a staffing agency, which really wasn't the direction he wanted to go. One of the places he went was doing pro-bono HR work for a non-profit homeless shelter. They're looking to hire an Executive Director/CEO. Within his field, that would have been his next step, but this is a whole different non-profit realm than he's ever been in. Is this the challenge, the "greatness" that God wants to use Jon to do His work? He had a casual interview today to see if he was still interested after hearing their spiel. Then he'll be called in later for an official interview.
Who knows if it's what God has in store... what I do know is that in our old home, almost every Women's study I did dealt with waiting on God's timing. Not taking control into our own hands -- in doing so, we close the door on God's greatness. I'm proud of my husband for being patient even in the face of doubt and frustration. This move has been the most stressful one to date (it's our 6th state in 9.5 years of marriage). It's the move that has us saying, "This is it -- we're not moving again." Yet... if God moves us... we'll listen and obey.
Anyway... that's a WHOLE lot more than the June you asked for! :) Blessings to you all...
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Checking in with a photo
Sorry, no freebies today, as I haven't had time to actually scrap. We've been SO busy! But here's an update.
My husband joined us in our new house a week ago Friday -- drove through some crazy snow storms to get here, but he made it safely (if not stressed!). We were all SO happy to have him here.
Our furniture was delivered on Tuesday of this week... in the middle of a rain/hail storm. It was the day of all the tornadoes in TN, AR, MO -- we were far enough removed from it that all we got was heavy rain and a small burst of hail. No damage, no injuries for us. We haven't unpacked it all (or even close), but so far, so good.
This is a picture of my husband and kids taken this afternoon. We had some decent, sunny weather, so we went down to the dock. My daughter is using the stick "to catch a whopper." With no line and no bait, she didn't... :)
I really do hope to get back to scrapping again soon... but things have to calm down a LOT before I'll have a chance. I did design a friend's wedding invitations last week for her, and also did a "spoof" slide (Power Point) for a co-worker for next weeks' team meeting presentation. But I havn't had time for any "me" stuff at all. One of these days.... :)
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