It's like manna from heaven... Just keep me grateful!

Well, I'm going back! Yes, the Lord has provided a job for me and it's back to Santa Fe I go. I am starting back with the State of NM Motor Vehicle Division as a Help Desk Specialist tomorrow (Thursday) morning! Even though on my end it has seemed to take forever for all the paperwork to happen and everything get lined up, it's really been a fast process to get me back this time! I am so grateful for the people up there who have worked hard to get things ready. They have actually created a temp position for me until they can get a permanent position lined up. It's incredible, and I am so thankful.

As many of you know, I did not have work for 3 weeks in October and then began working for TEK Systems as a PC Tech at CitiBank for about 4 weeks. However, the week of Thanksgiving they told me that they didn't have approval for the next phase of the project, and so..."Sorry, we have no work for you" and away I go until they get approval. Well, I have not worked since those 2 days before Thanksgiving. I have been hitting the Internet and the streets hard trying to get any other job that I could that would fit our family's needs and schedule. No callbacks, no interviews - No one seems to be hiring! It's been 4 weeks now and man, has it been tough!

Fortunately, Melissa has been giving piano lessons and has even added a couple of students. She is also working at Dillard's during the evening and weekends. Unfortunately, this has not been enough to provide for all of our needs, but we have had some incredible gifts from friends and family that have sustained us. As you can imagine, the next 3 weeks will still be very tight as it will be that long before my first paycheck comes in. God has provided for us so far, and I know he's not about to leave us now. Please continue to pray for us.

I am so grateful for my wife! She is my best friend and I could not have made it through this time without her. Even though there have been times where both of us have been extremely frustrated and have taken it out on each other, we have really come through this time, (and I do hope we're coming up for air) we have come through it shining. It is so awesome that God blessed me with her. We have been able to spend so much time together - praying, playing and just being a family. Our kids have been home all of December as well, because they are going to a year-round school this year. They have 1-month breaks every 3 months, so they have December, April and August with no school. It has really been a good time for us to be together. Not every moment, mind you, but definitely some good times.

Now, another chapter begins. I will be commuting, so I will be gone most of the day, leaving around 6 am and getting home about 5:30-6 pm, depending on the traffic. Melissa works from 6-?? several evenings a week, so we won't see a whole lot of each other. Please pray that she can increase the number of piano students she needs, so that she can quit Dillard's. She probably needs 5-7 more students.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support. We are so grateful. We also covet your prayers for local friends and that we start to feel at home at church.

Thank You!