He Watches Over Us

Tonight my husband went into work fully anticipating on filling out paperwork that would terminate his employment.  They were making cutbacks and he had opted not to reapply for his position.

Needless to say, I was very surprised when my hubby called me at 6:45 and told me "I'm staying."  And he didn't mean just for the night.  He meant, for an undetermined amount of time.  The terms of his employment have changed some (he will only be working 32 hours a week and will not get paid vacation) but they were able to work it in such a way that he should be keeping his health benefits for a while.  After spending hours on the Internet and phone looking into our health insurance options that last part is such a blessing.

Hubby is not anticipating this on being a long-term solution (we think the place where he works will be closed in 6 months or less), but at least it gives us income and health benefits while he is searching for something better.

Although we've been anticipating for the last 2 weeks that hubby was going to be losing his job, we've been at peace the entire time.  Now I know why.  God knew what was going to happen and that we'd be okay.

Change is Good

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a planner.  I like to know what I'm going to do today, tomorrow, and the rest of the week.  As such, I am not a big fan of change.  I like routine.

One year ago today, change hit me with little notice.  One year ago today, I officially started my new career as a Realtor.  For those who don't know the story of why and how I became a Realtor click here.  Needless to say, it came out of necessity, but looking back on it, I've seen God through everything.

The work itself has provided us the ability to pay our bills which of course was the goal, but it's also given my hubby some time with our kids.  It's given me some time away from the kids, which makes me appreciate the time with them more.  And it's helped my husband realize he likes to cook and teach (and I will add, he's good at them too).

Honestly, I can't believe it's been a year already.  How could I possibly be in the position I am after only one year as a Realtor?  You see, I recently sold my 12th house.  That's an average of 1 per month!  That's pretty much unheard of for a new Realtor.  To say God has blessed me in my new career is an understatement.

Has the last year been easy?  Certainly not.  Juggling work, family, church, and homeschooling isn't remotely easy and I'll be honest there are times when feel like I'm failing, but I haven't encountered anything we as a family haven't been able to handle.  Are there times when I've cried out to God and asked for His help?  Regularly.  Are there days when I hid in my bathroom and cried because I wanted to quite because of a really nasty client?  Yep, that too.  But God put this in my path.  He made it evident that it was where I need to be right now, and I have no intention of giving up. 

Have all the trials been worth it?  Definitely!  My family would not be who we are today.  And I kinda like who we've all become as a result of the last year.

Gratitude Challenge - Day 2

God's care and provision in my life.

Although my life has not always been easy I can honestly say I have always been able to see God's presence in my life.  Perhaps not during the trial I was facing (my fault for not looking hard enough) but certainly when it was all over.

Today was another example of that.  Today I meet with my tough client for the inspection of their hopefully new house.  Things went well so we are certainly moving forward.   Hopefully I will have money to buy some Christmas presents soon.

In His Time

... all things are beautiful, in His time.

The last few weeks, this chorus has been going through my head quite regularly.  That and the Bible verse that says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  (Jeremiah 29:11)

When I first started college, I was required to take a test that was supposed to help me find the perfect career.  This was done by asking a bunch of (strange) questions about my personal and working preferences.  When it was all said and done the computer spit out a result that said I should be an entrepreneur.  It shouldn't be any surprise that I ended up getting a business administration degree.  After all, what better way to be prepared to run my own business some day.

I've had numerous jobs over the years that ranged from shipping, project management, training, to bookkeeping.  In fact, I've been doing the bookkeeping for my husband's business for 8 years.  Until I became a Realtor, the closest I've come to running my own business is selling jewelry as an independent distributor. 

As I've been watching our savings account get smaller and smaller, I've had a few thoughts.  The first is that I'm so thankful that we had been able to save up some money for the proverbial rainy day.  The second thought is that I wish we could have saved up more.

The third thought is that it is only because of God that it hasn't dried up before now.  Every time we seem to need money something comes along.  Maybe not enough to cover all the bills but enough to help our savings account last a little bit longer.  For example, this week we got the deposit check back from the rental house.  I also closed on my first house.  Now I know I have enough in the checking account to cover our bills for October without dipping into the savings account.

Anyone who knows me, knows I believe God will provide.  Do I wish we would have money sooner so I can breathe a little easier... sure.  But you know what.  If I were in that position, I wouldn't be depending on Him to provide for my needs.  I would be thinking I could do it all on my own.  If it means I can be a witness for His provision and love, I will happily wait for His timing.

Nerves on Edge - No More

I don't know about you, but when my patience is being tried in one area, it puts the rest of me on edge.  Friday, I got a message from the bank saying they were putting a contingency on our loan approval for the house.  Unfortunately, we found out too late to get them the documentation before they all left for the day.  That meant we knew we would be waiting till at least Monday some time.

I am an extreme planner.  I make lists with sub-lists, and I like to plan trips at least a week in advance.  It gives me control and allows me to make sure I don't forget any of the little details.  I would have liked to have known a week ago that our loan had gone through underwriting and we'd been approved for the loan;  that all we were waiting for was signing all those stacks, and stacks, and stacks of papers. 

In order for my husband to get uninterrupted work, he tends to work at night and sleep during the day.  The current house is not arranged particularly well for this.  His bedroom shares a wall with one of the kids bedrooms and our bedroom happens to be at the end of a hall with tile floors (can you say echos and acoustics).  The new house however, will be perfect.  Perhaps that's part of my I'm so on edge.  I see how the new house will make our my life so much easier.  The last two days however, the kids seem to be getting on every last nerve.  They've been loud and have woken up their father on multiple occasions. Unhappy Daddy = Mommy feeling like a failure = Mommy unhappy and on edge.

When I feel particularly on edge, I remind myself of Jeremiah 29:11:
     "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to 
     harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Praise God, He is on my side!  No matter what happens, it's in my families best interest. 
Don't you feel that?  Peace.  Sweet peace.

UPDATE:

The wait is over.  Just heard back from the bank and we've been approved!  Closing is set for tomorrow at 4PM.  God is good and faithful, even to little ol' me.