Unemployed... and grateful

Hello there friends! I feel like I haven't really blogged in a long time. So, here it goes...

I have recently become unemployed (this was a mutual decision between myself and my employer, just so you know). It has been awhile - almost 7 years since I was last unemployed. That was right after I had returned from 5 1/2 months in Kenya and was completely irritated by American culture. Now (still usually irritated by American culture, but not really set apart) I am searching for a job, but am much more aware of my abilities and weaknesses... and our need for the finances. At the time (7 years ago) I was dating Micah, but was still single and my living costs were cheap or maybe even free... I think I was living with my aunt at the time. So, the pressure to find a job was very different. I simply didn't want to be a freeloader. Now we have a house and a kid and a dog to take care of, oh and 3 vehicles too. So, in some ways I am longing for the ease of living cheap and avoiding the pressures of bills and what not, but I wouldn't give up the last (almost) 6 years of marriage, our precious baby boy or even our dog to have that all back. Its funny how no matter what stage of life we are in, we are always longing for something else.

Anyway - sorry for the ramble - I have applied to many positions. Some excite me because of what I would be doing. Some excite me because of the potential earnings. But none of them excite me because they will bring fulfillment. No job will ever do that for me. I pray that God will simply provide for us financially through a stable job and that He will find a way to use me to draw others closer to Him through whatever it is that I end up doing. That is one thing that I have truly missed during my time working from home (minimal social interaction) and with mostly Christian clients (not a lot of opportunity to reveal God to a skeptic). I have had the privilege a few times in life to help someone or be a part of the journey for people who had once written God off as a hoax or someone they didn't want anything to do with. I don't know if anything else in life has every given me that kind of joy. If anything I did or said could help someone come closer to HIM??!! How incredible is that? Me. A sinner. Used by God. That is a miracle.

In the day to day...
our little boy is growing and getting stronger and more determined and more curious and sneakier and cuter EVERY DAY. Its crazy how now that he is 7 months old I can hardly remember what it was like when he was 3 months old! Each day is something new. He has his first tooth and he is army crawling EVERYWHERE... time to baby-proof the house! I just love playing with him and wish I could devote more of my time to that and less to the job search.

Micah is done with the evening classes that were part of his Masters program (and I might add, he did super well!)... and he has passed all of the tests that he needs to take... so now he is waiting to find out where he will do his two sessions of student teaching. First he will do 6 weeks of student teaching at a middle school (this is for social studies and language arts since they are a block period in schools around here) and then he will finish out the school year at a high school (this will be just social studies). His graduation will be in May - before he completes the student teaching - and he will also begin applying for jobs at that point!! I think it is all becoming more real to both of us. Micah is going to be a teacher :) I remember the first time that he and I were having a discussion of some kind and it just hit me !BAM! "Micah would be a GREAT History teacher!" I remember telling him that and he said that it had crossed his mind before but that Multnomah didn't have a program so he wasn't sure what to do with that (he was too far along in his Intercultural Studies program to switch). YEARS later, here we are! I'm not taking credit, but I have been excited for him to get to this point and I can't wait to celebrate his graduation and start calling him Mr. Stickler just so he gets used to it :)

I want to say that as I look through our list of friends on my blog I feel very blessed. I know several couples that just don't really have friends and I just can't imagine what we would do without all of you. Life's circumstances will bring change and take us further away from each other but blogging and email and phone calls have given us the opportunity to stay in touch pretty easily and I am so thankful. Just know that I am thankful for you!

I am sure I could write more, but I think I have rambled and said enough for now. Toodle-oo.