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!

New Look

Hey everyone, or anyone that reads this! We thought we try a new look for a while. Y'know, like when you paint a wall and everything looks really fresh all of a sudden. Well, we painted a wall this past weekend in our bedroom - now everything has to change, right? Not really. More later, but hope you like the look.

Clouds...clearing? Is that the sun I see?? Could it be?!

After not having ANY work to do for what is going on 3 weeks now, it appears that there may be a change in the weather in the near future. I received a phone call from my previous boss at the State of New Mexico today. He has known of our situation and we've talked about me coming back, but there hasn't been anything firm or definite.

Well, today he said that they are creating a temp position for me, just to get me back in, and then I will apply for a Help Desk Specialist position they having coming open. There are many more details to be worked out, and yes, this does mean I will be commuting to Santa Fe again :( but thank you Lord for some good news finally!

Coming soon - Some thoughts I've developed over the past couple of months regarding faith!

It's Still Raining

Hello all.
It's still raining and I feel like a drenched puppy dog.
Please pray for us. We soooo need a job!

God is good...even when it rains!

I keep reminding myself of this truth. Today my husband walked in the door at 9:30am...after just leaving for work at 7:15am. You see, we've been walking a hard road for two months now. After having to quit his job, the only decent work he's been able to find so far is with a computer temp. agency. He's been there for about 4 weeks. One of the potholes in this "hard road" is that with temp. work, you never really know IF you'll have work the next day...or THAT day...or that week. I think he worked a 40 hour week the first week. Today he went in and they said, We do not have work for you." ie: no pay. To all of you men out there, isn't that like one of the hardest things to hear??

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is FOR US. Yet, in every day reality, when you run out of milk, or gas, or money to pay an overdue bill...well, that's when I repeat above said statement: "GOD IS GOOD...GOD IS GOOD!!"
We've not gone without a meal. We have a little gas in the cars. Our kids are healthy. I have a husband who prays with me and for me.

PHILLIPIANS 4:12
12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Ok, maybe I needed to write this and then READ this for myself. It's all about perspective. Thanks for listening!

Help my friend!

A friend of mine, Tim Stevens, is authoring a book about the local church and he has a survey regarding the title of his book. You can take his book survey here.

You can also check out his blog here: Leading Smart

We'll get some more family stuff on here soon.

What am I doing at 3:30am??

It happens every time I am under a lot of stress....4:00am rolls around and you will find me getting out of bed, unable to sleep. I don't feel bad, or exhausted. In fact, I feel rather rested. It's just that stress has a way of eating up my sleep-time.

Today is different! I woke up at 3:00am!! What?!? Oh yeah...the time change! Thanks a lot, Mr. Clock. I tried taking a Tylenol PM last night. All it did was make me dream about snakes and shrieking eels (ok, maybe it's because we all watched "Princess Bride" last night). But, I decided to check my email, etc. until I get nice and sleepy. I will then crawl back into bed, hopefully until, um, 6am.

Today is my last day at Kohls. It's been a good place to work, and I will miss the people that I've been able to work with. God has given me several opportunities to live out my beliefs and even talk about my faith openly. I'm sorry that it doesn't pay enough to keep me there. When I gave my two weeks' notice, the admin. said, "Would you stay on if we moved you to the floor and gave you more hours?" Awfully sweet of her, but in my head I was saying, "More Hours?? Sure Lady...I'd LOVE to live here, and not see my family even more than I do!"

I'll start working at Dillards on Tuesday. No rest for the weary! At least I have Monday all to myself (and kids, don't even THINK about getting sick on Monday!!). What would I do if I had all the money in the world on that day? A complete "Spa Day", complete with haircut, manicure, pedicure, and massage!! Ahhh. I should take another Tylenol PM and go dream about that!

We are moving into our new house this Friday. Packing this time around has sure brought back a lot of memories of our move from Siloam Springs two years ago! The great thing this time around is that we have this ridiculously huge THREE CAR GARAGE (a typical size for ABQ), so as we pack we move the boxes into the garage, thus leaving us with the feeling that we are still in control of the chaos! Right. Just an observation: one would think that with a three car garage, one could park both vehicles in one's garage and STILL have room for one's bikes, woodworking tools, etc. Well, ONE IS WRONG. Our discovery: "Junk expands to the space allotted." I caught myself telling my mom the other day, "Well, our new house only has a two-car garage..." I heard her start laughing, then I realized how dumb that comment was. Boy, do we get spoiled!!