Under 100 days

Can you believe it? Under 100 days and I will no longer be working full time for a corporation. It's so crazy. A few days ago an old boss sent me an email. He was wondering if I wanted to do some side work for another company we had worked with a little south of where I live. I had thought numerous times about contacting both this boss and the owner of the other company after I quit to see if they had any work available. I decided to hold off until I had actually left my company so that there would be no "conflict of interest". You can imagine my excitement when he contacted me first! I exchanged emails with my old boss and filled him in on what I'm doing. He encouraged me to get in contact with this other company as well. I called them and for this particular instance they had figured out what they needed to do. However, I was able to share with them what I will be doing mid-summer and ask them to keep me in mind for side work. I was relieved that the work didn't need me now because things are still so crazy trying to keep up with work and the kids and all. But God allowed me to plant those seeds for future work! Thank you Lord!

Sharing your trials

Do you ever wonder why you go through trials and tribulations before? I've heard people say before that you go through stuff so that you can help others that go through the same thing. Of course, my first thought is, why does anyone have to go through anything? Then I am reminded of scripture that says:


James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


I went scrapbooking last weekend with a group of girl friends. Some I have known forever and others are more on the acquaintance level. As we were scrapping and chatting, I shared with them what we feel God has called us to do and the impacts it was making on our lives and future. I had forgotten that one of my friends had gone through a similar situation a few years ago. Her husband, who was an engineer at a stable job, decided 4 years ago that God was calling him to start his own photography business. He left his job with no savings and started his business.


She was sharing how crazy things were and how they were able to survive. They both run businesses out of their home. She said month by month God kept providing enough to pay the bills and feed the family. She learned how to feed her family of 5 on $100/week! She said here it is 4 years later and they are still making it. They were able to keep their daughters in private school and everything. She shared that it was tough on their marriage to go through such hard times, but God used it to bring out issues that were buried far beneath the surface.


I am thankful that she shared her trials with me and that God can use those to remind me to pray both for our situation and for others. I believe that this friend will be a great help and a good resource for me over the next few years. So while God uses these trials to produce endurance, a side benefit is that you can help someone else too!

Mama Bird

Last weekend I went to a tea hosted by a local home school organization. It was very nice and my daughter was thrilled to get to do "girl stuff" again. The speaker, a very dear friend of mine, spoke about being in the ideal place that God meant for you and the fact that he has thoroughly equipped you to do His good work. They gave away a picture of a mother bird feeding her four babies on a branch to the attendee that had a little blue bird in their booklet. I was blessed to be the recipient of this photo. God speaks and reaffirms again. He has equipped me to do this good work.

My husband and I are attending a large home school convention this Friday in Cincinnati, OH. We're only spending the day there in order to avoid hotel costs, etc. I've got a pretty good handle on what curriculum we're going to use, but I am very interested in going through the Exhibitor hall and checking out what's available.

Next week is the week my husband starts part time. Crazily enough, I have a major peace about the whole situation. I have no idea how God is going to provide, but I really am not worrying about it. Of course, check with me again in two weeks when the first paychecks come and it might be a different story. I'll try to be strong though. I am trusting Him and learning to lean on Him more and more.

That's about all.

Unbelievable!

Seriously, unbelievable. After realizing we were only getting $1500. back on our taxes, I put them aside because, honestly, not having the money in our hands is like the best savings strategy we have. Of course, we're getting closer to tax day and therefore I pulled them out last night to finish it up, print, and send off. As I've mentioned in a previous post, my laptop died, so I had to complete them on another computer. I loaded up the file and my husband's information was not put in as I had already done on the old laptop. Therefore, I had to go find all the paperwork again so I could put the numbers in.

Organization is not one of my strong suits. I had been piling the tax papers up in a bin (with other papers/mail) as things came in and as I entered them into the computer. I went to the bin and started digging out all the tax stuff. Mind as well put it in a folder while I'm gathering it. As I was digging through the mail I came across an envelope that had the familiar "Tax Documents Enclosed" text on the outside. Oh good, I thought. I wouldn't have even realized I was missing something. The paper was for our HSA (Health Savings Account) and included the amount we had spent on medical bills last year.

I started putting in all the numbers and once again had reached the general vicinity of the $1500 mark that I was expecting. Then I got to the HSA section. Not completely understanding how all of this works, I just follow the prompts in the software and match up the box numbers with the form numbers. So I had the right form number, check! I started inputting the info. Box 1, check. Then it asked me how much of that number was spent on qualified medical bills. All of it, check. Then I clicked Done.

Holy cow. My husband even asked me if I was all the way done before he got his hopes up.

So I hope you are totally in suspense right now. We are getting over four thousand dollars back. We owe a few hundred on state, but even still, I was dumb-founded. Now this could sound like it didn't have much to do with God and was completely user error. Partially true. But if it wasn't for having to go back and find that paperwork, I don't know that I would have found the HSA documents or realized that the info needed to be entered. So I thank God for meeting me in my disorganization and blessing us with some additional funds right when we need it.

Thank you Lord!

Facing the Red Sea

Today I feel like Moses. God called him with a job to do. Moses was nervous and God provided clear signs to both Moses, Pharaoh and others that this was God's plan. Finally, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. Now they are wandering through the desert and Pharaoh's men start chasing them, and then they hit the Red Sea. I wonder what Moses was thinking, "are you kidding, Lord?".

Actually I think in one way Moses had to know the Red Sea was coming. I would think a big body of water like that wouldn't be a big surprise. So then I think, what was Moses thinking leading up to the Red Sea? Did he have a backup plan? Or did he just know that God would provide one way or another?

So why am I facing the Red Sea? My Red Sea is that my husbands hours just got reduced to part time. Beginning in April, he will only be working 3 days a week. His performance is good, but business is slow and he is the low man on the totem pole. This obviously cuts our income in the short term as well as seems to derail our long term plans.

I kind of don't know what to think. Is this another plan of Satan's to divert us? Should I start moving forward with a backup plan?

I decided to read the story of Moses and the Israelites again today. To be honest, I was surprised to see Moses' reaction. When the Egyptians were closing in and the Israelites were panicking and getting mad at Moses, here's what Moses said:

Exodus 14:13-14 But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent."

Moses had complete faith that God would continue to deliver them. The whole reason God did this is so "I will be honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord... " (vs 17 - 18)

Again my faith is reassured. God is faithful and others will know that HE IS THE LORD through whatever means He chooses to remedy this situation. I have to give God complete control! He will deliver us.

Nobody shows when it snows

Well it has begun. My husband had his first Pampered Chef party yesterday and let's just say it didn't go so well. The weather had started snowing just a little before start time. My sister-in-law called to say 2 people had cancelled. There was still one attending, and since it was the first party, we still ventured out. We got there and got all setup. Seven thirty rolled around and our guest was not there. My SIL called her and found out she had totally forgotten, so NO attendees. Many of her guests said they will place catalog orders, so things can still look up there.

So, the next party is this Sunday at our house. Hopefully, this one goes better!

I have people starting to approach me about piano lessons which is exciting. Still not ready to start teaching yet.... but working on it.

We've set the official end date and discussed with our au pair when she will be leaving. My first day home with the kids without an au pair will be July 18! That's only 128 days away!

Wisdom vs. Faith

You know, you're going along. Step by step making plans and getting ready for whatever it is that God has called you to do. Then the doubts come, not great big ones, but small ones. The closer we get to our "go date", the more I feel like our financial picture looks bleak. I started to question if we should do this in the summer or possibly wait another year.



My husband got frustrated with me when I started to verbalize these doubts. He said that I always have this "I can stay at work" card in my back pocket. He said I'm not giving any credit to the "God Factor".



My struggle really lies in wisdom verses faith. If I was looking at this purely through a wisdom lens, it would be pretty clear that quitting is crazy. However, God asked people throughout the Bible to do some pretty crazy things and they had to step out in faith and obey even though it didn't make sense.



I fear we won't be able to pay the bills some month. WE made the bad choices to get into debt and therefore have the consequences and responsibility to follow through on those commitments.



So Wednesday night, we lay in bed discussing all of these things. We ended the conversation well. I basically said, "I don't doubt at ALL that this is God's will for us, I just question the timing". And we went to bed....



THEN... the next morning, I'm driving to work kind in my own world, but the radio was in the background on the local christian station. All of sudden the words "When is the last time you were overcome with fear?" caught my attention. My ears tuned into what was being said. Attached below is a copy of the transcript. I've highlighted what stuck out to me.