Today was a big day for our family!  Jon started his first day of working at Forward Advantage!  I haven't gotten a full recap, but he said via text that it was going very well!  I am SO excited!!!  I'm so excited to see where God is leading our family with this one!  We spent a lot of this summer praying, and one of the things that we prayed about was that Jon wouldn't just find a job that would get us by... but that he would find a job that could turn into a career.  I don't know what God's plan is, or if this is going to turn into a career for Jon, but I know that this is a field that Jon could definitely turn into a career!  Not to mention that he's working for an amazingly family oriented company!  They don't just "deal" with families... they embrace them!  One of the houses that we're looking at is RIGHT by the Forward Advantage office!  It would be so awesome to be able to walk over with Nicholas to have lunch with Daddy!  Nicholas even made Daddy a pencil/pen cup for his desk!!  I want to make this new job and move a family event!!
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I've started back into my Bible reading and, in the process, I've been reviewing my notes.  Back in February to May, before full time teaching, I was doing really well.  Then I started slacking and never really got back into it.  I'm trying to really get back on track now, especially because Nicholas gets into it.  When I was reading the other day, he actually came to the table and asked me to read it to him.  I was just reading Psalms but I made it sound dramatic and he seemed to enjoy it.  Then he "read" it to me (Jesus told the dinosaurs to go away, I guess that's his version of extinction, haha). 

One of the verses that really stood out to me was Job 22:21-22:

Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.  Accept instruction from His mouth and lay His words in your heart.

I got a lot of things from these two little verses.  One... SUBMIT to God.  I need to work on that.  Even as I speak of being excited of our move to Fresno, I'm nervous.  We need to find a place to live in the next two weeks, we need a second car, and it's all expensive.  We're looking at having to put out a lot in the next month for deposits, rent, vehicles, and moving expenses.  I need to work on really just trusting that God wouldn't leave us hanging.  Where God guides, God provides.  Second... prosperity is not in the American sense.  It doesn't mean that God will provide me with a nice house with a white picket fence, a dog, a cat, and 2.5 children.  It means that God will supply my needs and give me the contentment that comes from a relationship with Him.  Lastly... I need to work on obeying God's will.  It's not so much that I disobey God's will, it's that I need to spend more time (much more time!) in prayer will Him so that I hear and recognize His instructions.

Anyway, I really am excited because I know that this job is part of God's plan for Jon.  It's like the song "Here I Am" where they sing "Somehow my story is a part of your plan..."  I know that God is going to find a way to use Jon at Forward Advantage.  Maybe it's just to get us closer to Christian friends... or maybe it's because there will be a job opportunity for me in Fresno.  Regardless, I need to really work on being content and trusting in His will for us!

Welcoming the Fall Season!

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false, he will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Psalm 24:4-5

Fall is one of my favorite seasons!  Some people consider Spring to be the season of renewal... in some ways, it is.  That's when new flowers come up after a long winter and we see the birth of new life in so many areas of nature.  But really, I think that Fall should be a time of renewal as well.  It's the season when the old falls off and we celebrate the gifts of Spring and Summer. 

I'm looking at this season as a time for renewal and letting go... letting go of resentment, worry, and stress.  No, I'm not saying that my life will be 100% stress free... but I want to let go of worries and hand them over to God.  I want to let go of resentment and bitterness and jealousy... three things that I can feel inside me right now.  I want to spend Fall letting the resentment and bitterness fall to the ground to prepare for the growth of new opportunities.  I want clean hands and a pure heart that is open to the Will of God.

I can feel God providing renewal in my faith as well.  I can feel my faith becoming stronger.  What is so beautiful about this is that it's impacting more than just my own heart.  I can feel it bringing renewal into my marriage too... it's wonderful!  There's still so much growth to be had... I need to work on my attitude a lot.  I feel myself getting frustrated quickly and loosing patience... but I feel like Fall is the perfect time to focus on that.  I want to clean my hands and purify my heart to accept and obey the plans God has planned for me.  I don't know where He wants me to be, but I know that His plans are perfect and that there are wonderful gifts for those who obey. 

Realizing His Plan (sort of...)

A lot has happened in a month and a half.  In early August, Jon and I had two huge prayers answered: we both got jobs on the same day.  Jon got a job working as a JSA (Job Search Assistance) Instructor, and I recieved a job as a receptionist.  The jobs came just in time; the next day BFS called and, had we not just been hried, Jon would have agreed to go back to Afghanistan for the 5th time. 

About a month ago Jon also did a phone interview for a computer company, and two weeks ago did a face-to-face interview as well.  He got the job!  I can't even explain how shocked we were.  Not only did Jon think his interview only went so-so... but it NEVER occurred to us that God had this in the works.  His new job is AMAZING!  Great pay, great benefits, great leadership... and an industry (computer engineering) that is growing rapidly.  It also brings with it a move to Fresno that we're both super excited about!  We'll be living near the Wanke family and other friends from high school!

This experience, while exciting, has also been humble and embarrassing.  Those close to me know that this summer was (for me) one of grumbling, complaining, and bitterness.  August 26th was a painful day knowing that it meant that I would have to spend a whole year waiting to see if my passion for teaching would be realized.  In plain and simple terms... I was a brat.  Thankfully, I have a husband who was still loving and kind through a time that was difficult. 

I was humbled because I was instantly reminded that I ignored the knowledge that God's plan is greater.  While I sat in my room moping because God wasn't giving either of us jobs, God was up there planning an amazing opportunity.  While I was whining and crying that my dream wasn't being fulfilled, God was making me available for a move that would benefit my FAMILY.  I was selfish and disrespectful to Jon and Nicholas by not considering that maybe MY dream wasn't what was best for our FAMILY.  I was also embarrassed because I acted so childishly.

In the end, I'm extremely thankful to God.  I'm thankful that He didn't answer my prayers for a job.  If I was working now, Jon wouldn't be available to take this amazing opportunity.  If we were stuck in Bakersfield he would be passing up something that will open an amazing number of doors.  He'd be stuck in a job that doesn't really utilize his skills and is temporary.  I still pray that God's plan has me teaching next year.  Heck, I pray His plan lets me start subbing this year... but I'm learning to trust more because when it comes down to it, He knows what He's doing!