Hooray, my husband has finished nursing school!  I am so proud of him and so thankful to God.  Three years ago, my husband walked into our kitchen where I was doing the dishes (as usual) and announced that he had enrolled in some prerequisite classes needed to get into the nursing program at the local college.  After gripping the sink for support, I turned around and said, "You did what?"  Recovering from the shock took me about a year and getting used to the long hours of school and his working evenings, Sundays and an occasional night shift at a local long term care center, took about another year.  This last year, I finally accepted the idea, even found some ways to like it (like, I can blog on Thursday evenings because he's at work and I'm not taking time away from our time together!)  He had been a cabinet maker our entire life together, the last 15 years being self-employed.  Long hours, unpredictable pay, no benefits.  I was used to it and even liked it.  He got tired of it and wanted a change.  He really felt the Lord leading him in this direction.  So I prayed and asked God to help me support him.  And I have been praying ever since.  God has guided him and gotten him (and our family) through this journey.  He passed his last term and now has to take the State Board Registered Nurse exam.  Through all my prayers, God has changed my heart.  There are still times I have difficulty accepting this life change (it's hard to explain my resistance so I won't try!) but I have had faith that if God wants this for our family, He will lead the way.  And He has.  This part of the journey is nearly done, will be after Todd passes the RN exam (and he will!!) the end of June.  Our next journey will begin when he gets a nursing job that will really support us, where ever that is.  He wants to work in intensive care or emergency (I think he's nuts but proud of his courage and desire to help people in serious need)  In his training, he had a hand in saving a man's life and that really made an impact on him.  I laughingly tell people, "He wants to save lives, what's wrong with him?"  I am careful not to ask him about his day unless I am prepared to hear the gorey details.  I am open to moving to a new area though there is a lot about Astoria I really love.  Oregon is so beautiful.  But I know God is in control and will continue to lead us on this journey.  Change is so difficult for me, even though I often crave it.  Is that crazy?  Or is that more common than I realize.  We often get bored with the status quo yet change requires risk, something that can be difficult to have the courage to do.  I am so proud that Todd had the courage to step out in faith and make a change for the better, for himself and our family.  We will have benefits someday!  Being self-employed means being self-insured and very little in the retirement fund!  Even as I look forward to finally knowing where we will be (where he'll be working) I'm a little scared.  More faith.  Breathe!  O.k. 

The latest update on my sweet stepfather is that things are not looking so good.  Decisions will need to be made in the next 24 hours or so.  Hard to type this.  But he is in God's hands.  I am praying for perfect peace for my family.  Heavy sigh.  My sweet husband is home now.  I need a hug!