| Patchworks and Tapestries |
| Jun. 29, 2009 - So much has happened since my last entry... |
| Wow! I didn't realize it's been six (almost seven) months since my last entry. A lot has happened... After months of rumors, on January 26th, ironically, my 52nd birthday, my husband found out that layoffs were immenent (sp?) at his job. Although we really didn't think it was going to happen to him, we knew it wasn't out of the question. I started feeling strongly that I should go back to work part time. I had to help out, just in case. We were going to church in early February, when I saw a help wanted sign at the place I worked at 12 years ago when my hubby was working in the pharmaceutical wholesale industry and his company closed. After church, I did something I never do on a Sunday - business related stuff. I went over there to leave a resume and make an appointment for an interview. At least, that was the intention. I left with the job!! Good thing, because 5 weeks later, my husband was laid off. I'm what they call a research interviewer. I call people on behalf of various research companies and interview them. Sometimes for customer satisfaction surveys, sometimes for political surveys, etc. The work is interesting, but after a 4-5 hr. shift, you're talked out and not really interested in being on phone calls at home. The pay scale is low, minimum wage plus what amounts to a commission if you complete more surveys than quota. Fortunately, I tend to do fairly well, but I work my butt off to do so. The good news is, I work only 5 mins. from home, the hours are flexible, and the people, for the most part, are really nice. Being I work nights and Saturday afternoons, I can continue to homeschool without the quality of our homeschooling suffering at all too. Never one to take things lying down, my hubby took the 1st two months to start his job search, then decided to renew his TLC license and was able to find work as a limo driver. Now this, for lack of a better term, is deja vu. We are both doing what we did 12 years ago. Limo driving isn't exactly paying all of the bills, but it sure beats what unemployment pays and, at least, my husband isn't just sitting there idle. (I think that is more hurtful for a guy, you know.) The hours are ridiculously long and the work erratic. Sometimes it's enough, other times, not enough. My husband has a halfway decent severance package, which we are using to supplement our income, but after 3 months, we're half way through it and are having to start looking at what to do for insurance, etc. if he doesn't find something better in the next 3 months. All this is really scary, and it's really testing my faith. I have to tell you though, my husband, God bless him, never waivers or complains. He's hurting and he won't admit it most of the time, but he's a little bit scared, but he's just been amazing. We're both in jobs that keep us praying, especially because a decent part of our salaries depend on erratic factors (how many limo jobs are available, how good are the tips, how many people are willing to complete the surveys/interviews I do with them, how much work is available for me, etc.) This is not exactly a bad thing, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that all of this is very scary. My husband's had a number of interviews, including 2 this week, one of which seemed to go perfectly, but he got a very nice rejection letter Saturday, and another yesterday (yes, on a Sunday, go figure) that we are still waiting to hear about, but so far, nothing solid. Homeschooling has continued without too much of a problem. Our 10 year old son is still a little nervous about the whole employment situation. Out of all 5 of our children, he's the only one who has never seen his dad unemployed before or his mom working out of the house, but he's weathering it okay. We're blessed that we already had all of our materials for our new school year when this happened (having homeschooled 3 through high school, I had very little to buy). We've had a number of other things going on as well. In March, a week after my husband got his lay off notice, his step-dad was diagnosed wtih cancer in his ureter. Because of other health problems that are being addressed, he's not able to have surgery for the cancer yet. He's been in and out of the hospital with other serious problems, including potassium levels that almost killed him already. Bob just got out of the hospital for the 2nd time dealing with that and is in a nursing home temporarily. As for the cancer, can't even go there until he's stabilized. After 2 miserable years at a small local church where the pastor treated us like we didn't exist, we left there and found a wonderful small church 20 mins away. The pastor is an Indian national with a heart soooooo BIG for God and his people. He's one of the best Bible teachers I've ever heard and we are studying Revelation right now. Haven't been able to go to the mid-week BIble study for the past month because of work schedules, but he's been kind enough to send us the Scripture references so we can continue to study together and keep up. Friends of ours attend there: the young man who teaches Bible study for our home fellowship and an older man who was a Sunday school teacher for our oldest daughter 20 years ago. It's a good place to be, with room to grow and room to serve. The pastor's wife is a wonderful lady and has been such an encouragement to me. To be totally honest, I'm struggling with my faith at times with all that is going on, but if I had to be in this place in my life, I feel that I have the support I need to help me get through it. Had something scary happen a week and a half ago. abotu 12:30 in the morning, our oldest son was up watching a movie when our dog, who is a bit of a wuss normally, started barking wildly. Our son noticed someone on our stoop looking around but not ringing the doorbell. It was this guy we knew, about 31 years old, who was walking with the Lord, but backslid and has a drug problem. He lives with is dad who's also in the same state. The difference is, the dad works to support his habit. The son tries to gain entry into the home of Christian friends and steals from them. How do I know? According to his aunt, who we've known for years and confirmed this the following day when our oldest daughter ran into her. When our son saw him, he went outside to talk to him, never letting him into our house. Good thing, because, according to his aunt, that's his m.o. - get into a house to case it out, then meticulously take things so carefully you don't know they're gone until you look for the item. When our son asked him why he was there so late, he claimed to have walked crosstown to us looking for help that he and his kids were hungry (he doesn't have custody of his kids, just visiting rights, his ex-wife has custody). Our son went back into the house while the guy stayed outside and got him some groceries (which we can ill afford to give right now) and he left. Our son had promised to get him info on food pantries to him in a day or so, but after learning what his aunt told us, he never went to see him. The guy came back a couple of nights later to try to get invited in, but my husband and son would not let him in, so the guy was insulted and left, only to sit in a car diagonally across the street from our house a couple of days later (we know it was his car from our son who passed by his father's house to see what cars were out there a couple of days before. After the 2nd of the 3 incidents, my husband got aggressive about it and drove over to the father's house. There was as guy outside. My husband honked the horn and demanded that the guy get the father out there to talk to him. The father came out and my husband told him the whole story and demanded that he keep his son away from us, our home, and our property. The father claimed to know nothing and agreed to do what my husband said. Then my husband went to the police and was able to talk to one of two officers who patrol our area who knew of the guy's name (he's served time), advised my husband on what to do if he comes here in the future, and told my husband that he plans to make a visit to the guy's house. So far, no further contact, Praise God. I can't tell you how sad all of this has made me and how grateful that our children, with all the challenges that life has handed each of them, have not turned out like that. There is more to tell, but this is already so long. The most immediate thing is that our 19 yo dd is starting a free 3 week training program to become a home health aide this morning. The agency that is giving this will guarantee her work if she completes the course and passes the final tests (both paper and practicum). Your prayers would be appreciated for so many things including: - A good permanent job for my husband to come speedily and for God's provision in the meantime - Health, strength, peace and joy for the journey in the meantime - Healing and salvation for my husband's step-dad and his mom - Safety for our family in light of our almost intruder - Healing from drug addiction for the young man who almost robbed us and his father and a return to the Lord for them both - God's grace for an extension for our oldest daughter's licensing to finish her requirements for her master's degree. - For the Lord to bring the right man into our oldest daughter's life. - For a better job for our oldest son. - For the Lord to bring the right woman into our oldest son's life. - For the Lord to give our oldest son wisdom in dealing with his pastor (our former pastor) - there are MAJOR issues. - For the Lord's protection for our 19 yo daughter as she starts this home health aide program and for her to do well. - For our 16 yo daughter as she helps me as our mother's helper this summer. - For our 10 yo son as he goes through all of the adjustments from all that is going on in our lives. - For the Lord to help us do well in our yard sale next weekend - we could sure use the money - For the Lord to help me as I try to launch my online business that I do well - again, we could sure use the money. Thanks to all who took the time to read through all of this and for all who pray... Blessings, Pam |
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