Sunday, August 15, 2010

before and after

i like to keep this blog pretty upbeat. post about the great stuff i love, because that's the stuff i want to look back on and remember.

so i've been waiting on some blog inspiration. and it hasn't all been bad,
but let's be real here folks, the last couple weeks have been rough!

i am soooo thrilled we went on vacation. that we had some really, truly refreshing "us" time. i really feel like God was using that to fuel us up for the weeks to follow it.
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so this post is the before. the yuck. the not so awesome....but to be surely followed by a great post where things turned back up. (plus that illustration makes gus's creepy feet make more sense in here. )
before:
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kevin's teaching job hunt has been exhausting. depressing. exciting. draining. we put a lot of money and time into this program...and really felt strong direction in each decision we made on it. so we kept on with it. and nothin'. until a couple weeks ago. FINALLY a potential job...that he had a shot at. and we were sure he had it. it was a pay cut to work at this particular school, but it was a foot in the door and we'd have taken it in a heartbeat. and when he didn't get it we were so. sad. i couldn't even call our friends and family who knew about it. we didn't realize how high we'd put our hopes in this, until they were dashed.
but a few days and we had snapped out of it.

and a few days after that i lost my sweeeeeet babysitting job. i loved watching that little girl. and the money was a bonus. the kids adored her, she was sweet, obedient and just easy to have around. plus it was fun to shop and paint toenails now and then. i didn't realize how sweet i was being paid until i started looking for another kid to take in to take her spot. average around here is less than half what i made watching her.

so hindsight, good thing kevin didn't get the pay cut teaching job!
but this is not exactly what we were counting on for this fall. we had envisioned kevin teaching, weekends off, MDO for me, dave ramsey steps getting knocked off our to do list. so all this...plus throw in a big A/C repair bill, kevin not feeling awesome, and our list of "really need to fix this" things growing.

i like change when it's fun things like rearranging furniture. or new clothes. i do NOT like change when it rocks your whole plan. but, we will roll with the punches. on september 1st, kevin can no longer get a job teaching. if we want to try again, we will have to wait until next summer, redo the program[meaning paying again]...and hope another year of job hunting will result in his dream job. (we certainly realize something could come up in the next 2 weeks. we're just praying kevin is where/gets put where he's supposed to be.)


i'm sure we'll look back at this rough patch and see what God was up to, and be thankful it all went down like this.




it's easy to have a great marriage when things are easy. when the kids obey. when the house is clean. when there's plenty of money. when everyone is healthy.
it's hard when things get chaotic.
and we've definitely had plenty of rough spots in our life that spiraled into our relationship, making things worse than they had to be.
the last month has thrown some of the biggest curve balls we've seen. but this time we're handling it differently. better.
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maybe slowly, but surely we're realizing it always does work out. and we're always better for it.

so the end of this summer can be our nasty skanky feet season.
but we'll scrub up and push through, and go to bed with squeaky clean footsies.

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and sleep good.
because we'll do this.

"give your burdens to the Lord and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." ps. 55:22

4 comments:

  1. Hey Kelly! I thought I'd let you know I read your blog. haha, surprise! I also want to share a little story...
    a while back charles stanley ran for president of the southern baptist convention. he was asked to run, and after praying about it, felt God told him to do it. he had no desire to do it, but he was obedient. the man he ran against got very personal throughout the "campaigning" and a bit disrespectful. the night before the votes were to be cast there was a press conference. a reporter asked dr. stanley how he would feel the next day if he did not win. this was his answer, i'm only running for this position because God told me to do it. He didn't tell me i would win, he told me to run. so tomorrow if i lose i win, and if i win, i still win.
    You guys deserve a way to go for taking the risk and trying because it was what you felt like God wanted you to do! Praying for you guys!

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  2. well said, elizabeth.
    i love it when you look back and it all makes sense. praying for that moment!

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  3. Stay strong KK!! Things happen for a reason - so hard to remember in the moment when things are bad, but it looks like you are keeping things in perspective and staying positive. God will take care of you! Good things happen to good people and you guys are the definition of good people!! I feel like sometimes when things don't work out as we like, or don't go as planned - we learn something in the process. Maybe that is what is happening right now for you...but I'm sure you'll look back and see the reason! Thinking of you!!!

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  4. Love you girl, and your family. We've both had our share of financial crazy times to say the least:) He is always faithful to those who are obedient and trust in Him...especially when we don't see immediate results and still trust, as you are doing. I do believe, prob because it has come from our own experience, that some of the greatest blessings flow out of the greatest diversity and trials of our lives. Real life is just that...REAL. Every season has a purpose. His purpose. ..."because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" james 1:3-4

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