by Granny Girl
My new job starts tomorrow! My last job ended ten months ago and it's been an interesting, blessing filled journey. I had been given a generous severance package from my old company. That, coupled with unemployment benefits for six months was enough to get me through. I began working in residential real estate and realized that I'm not a "commission only" type of person. I like the steadiness of a paycheck.
At the beginning of this year, things began to get really tight. My oldest son had left his job in the oil fields and moved back home. He worked different jobs and went to school to get a license to start his own backflow testing company. His fiance lived with me, too. She had to quit her job at a grocery store because the long commute was just too much. My unemployment checks ran out. We were completely dependent on God for our provision. And He came through!
The first week in February, I landed a job that paid very, very well. Then, all of our income tax returns came in. Woohoo! My son and his fiance decided they could afford to get married and our agreement was for them to rent my house from me. They liked the house and I wanted a place to start over on my own. With the income from my job and a loan from my son and his fiance, I was able to afford a pretty little rent house around the corner from where we lived. They got married on February 28th and I moved while they were on their honeymoon.
A week later, my job ended. The agency that placed me there had told me it was a temp to perm job, but the company had actually listed it as a temp only. They were very kind and even gave me a day's notice before letting me go, which is more than most temps get. It was a wonderful place to work, but to be honest, I was exhausted from the move and really appreciated the break. I knew if God had provided that job in order for me to get my house, then He would provide another one in order for me to keep it. The job loss was an even bigger blessing when I needed to go to Florida and be with my niece after her son got shot. I couldn't have done that if I had been working. God is good!
So, March would have been a really tough month since I had no job, but I closed on my one real estate deal! I had represented a good friend of mine who bought a cool little condo in downtown Fort Worth. The commission from that deal was enough to pay my bills for the month. God provides!
April rolled around. My sister offered to loan me enough to get me through the month and I accepted her offer. I applied for jobs daily and also signed up with some temp agencies. I started getting calls from commercial real estate companies and interviewed at a couple of them in Dallas. That's the field I've always worked in as an admin and my resume opened some doors of opportunity. In big real estate companies the wheels grind slowly. Even though the interviews were going well, no job offers were going to happen quickly.
But then I got invited back for a second interview at one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the world. They really wanted me! I told them my concerns about the pay, which was a little lower than standard, and my need to arrive early and leave early so I could drive the long commute and still have evenings with my grandson. Amazingly, they agreed to raise the salary and adjust my hours. So why was I not excited? I really grappled with my lack of joy over this opportunity. I just didn't want to work there. In my mind's eye I saw myself as one tiny cog in a great big wheel, clocking in every day, keeping my head down, doing the job and going home. The reality of it wouldn't have been anywhere near that, but that's how I felt. I prayed for peace and guidance.
While I was waiting for their official offer and trying to talk myself out of my slump, I got an unexpected phone call. A commercial real estate broker who used to work with me in my former company (I was her assistant) called me and asked me to come work with her. Bam! That was what I was waiting on and I didn't even know it! She was starting up her own brokerage and wanted me to come help her. As she excitedly told me about her plans for the future and the deals she already had in the works, peace and happiness grew in me and I knew this was exactly what God had been preparing for me all along. And to top it all off, I will also be working for an established development company that she is sharing an office with so the responsibility of my salary won't be completely hers. They will share it 50/50. That gives her some financial relief while she's in start up mode and it gives me stability. I don't even care that it's a longer commute. God will work it out so that time with my grandson won't be slighted. The pay is good and the people are great. The opportunities are endless. God is so good!
About twenty seconds after my friend texted me the official offer of a job, I got a phone call from the really big company with their official offer. I was able to turn it down without any regrets. God's timing is impeccable!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Easter
by Granny Girl
We had such a fun Easter this year! Several times during the busy day I thought back to all the Easters I had slogged through because I had stayed up late the night before to finish sewing Easter clothes, clean the house, prepare the big Easter dinner and get everything ready so we could make it to church. The memories made me appreciate how much less stressful my holidays are now.
I ironed Cameron a nice shirt on Saturday night. That was it for clothing preparation. Easy sneezy! As I was ironing, I was remembering years ago being at Super Wal-Mart at 1:00 on Easter morning to get my little girl white gloves and ruffly socks to go with the dress I had just finished sewing for her.
On Sunday morning, I put a big chocolate Easter bunny on the kitchen table for Cameron. Simple! I used to put together four Easter baskets after the kids went to sleep and set them out on the table. I enjoyed it, but it was a lot of work putting them together on such a limited budget. I had to search Dollar Tree for packages of multiple toys and candies to make it work. And I used to divide up one package of Easter grass among four baskets.
This year, getting myself and one very self sufficient teenager to church was a piece of cake. We went to the early service at 8:30 and Cameron stayed for all three services. I left at the end of the first service and drove home to take my 22 year old to work. He doesn't have a car and his employer needed him to work at a location across town. Then, I dashed home and put frozen broccoli with cheese sauce in the crock pot, breaded pork chops in the oven (set for delayed start), got the ingredients measured out for instant mashed potatoes and cans of corn out to be opened and put in the microwave. The deviled eggs and bunny cake were in the fridge and my daughter in law was going to bring hot rolls. What a far cry from the frantic preparations of years gone by! I remembered one Easter when I forgot to turn on the oven and I had a houseful of company coming for lunch. I was watching my small children at their after church Easter egg hunt when it dawned on me. Panic! We had to swing by a restaurant and pay big bucks for a cooked ham.
I dashed back to church for the 11:30 service to teach in the Pre-K class. What a joy it was to tell them that Jesus came back alive after three days just like He told His friends He would! Those adorable children just make my week.
When Cameron and I got home from church, the pork chops were done to perfection, broccoli was simmering in the crock pot and everything else came together quickly. Nathan and his family arrived with the hot rolls and lunch was ready! After the meal, my niece Nicole came with her family to join in the Easter egg hunt. We didn't have Easter baskets for my grandsons so we used grocery bags and they never knew the difference. The boys had a blast finding the eggs in the back yard. It was such an enjoyable Easter Sunday!
After everyone left, Cameron and I both put on our pajamas and did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. Good times!
My oldest and youngest grandsons at church. This makes my heart happy! :)
Gibby and Jon actually thought they looked like Easter bunnies. :)
Ok, boys. Let's move closer together and move over so the trash can isn't part of the backgound.
That's better. Now everyone look at the camera and say "cheese!"
Getting a good picture of six boys? Nope, ain't gonna happen!
We had such a fun Easter this year! Several times during the busy day I thought back to all the Easters I had slogged through because I had stayed up late the night before to finish sewing Easter clothes, clean the house, prepare the big Easter dinner and get everything ready so we could make it to church. The memories made me appreciate how much less stressful my holidays are now.
I ironed Cameron a nice shirt on Saturday night. That was it for clothing preparation. Easy sneezy! As I was ironing, I was remembering years ago being at Super Wal-Mart at 1:00 on Easter morning to get my little girl white gloves and ruffly socks to go with the dress I had just finished sewing for her.
On Sunday morning, I put a big chocolate Easter bunny on the kitchen table for Cameron. Simple! I used to put together four Easter baskets after the kids went to sleep and set them out on the table. I enjoyed it, but it was a lot of work putting them together on such a limited budget. I had to search Dollar Tree for packages of multiple toys and candies to make it work. And I used to divide up one package of Easter grass among four baskets.
This year, getting myself and one very self sufficient teenager to church was a piece of cake. We went to the early service at 8:30 and Cameron stayed for all three services. I left at the end of the first service and drove home to take my 22 year old to work. He doesn't have a car and his employer needed him to work at a location across town. Then, I dashed home and put frozen broccoli with cheese sauce in the crock pot, breaded pork chops in the oven (set for delayed start), got the ingredients measured out for instant mashed potatoes and cans of corn out to be opened and put in the microwave. The deviled eggs and bunny cake were in the fridge and my daughter in law was going to bring hot rolls. What a far cry from the frantic preparations of years gone by! I remembered one Easter when I forgot to turn on the oven and I had a houseful of company coming for lunch. I was watching my small children at their after church Easter egg hunt when it dawned on me. Panic! We had to swing by a restaurant and pay big bucks for a cooked ham.
I dashed back to church for the 11:30 service to teach in the Pre-K class. What a joy it was to tell them that Jesus came back alive after three days just like He told His friends He would! Those adorable children just make my week.
When Cameron and I got home from church, the pork chops were done to perfection, broccoli was simmering in the crock pot and everything else came together quickly. Nathan and his family arrived with the hot rolls and lunch was ready! After the meal, my niece Nicole came with her family to join in the Easter egg hunt. We didn't have Easter baskets for my grandsons so we used grocery bags and they never knew the difference. The boys had a blast finding the eggs in the back yard. It was such an enjoyable Easter Sunday!
After everyone left, Cameron and I both put on our pajamas and did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day. Good times!
This was in a yard in my neighborhood. It was put up earlier in the week with a sign that said, "For God so loved the world...." On Easter, they changed the sign. Beautiful!
Cutie pie Cameron in his pajamas. If he knew I posted this he'd croak!
Friday, April 11, 2014
Achieve success
by Granny Girl
A couple of Saturdays ago I had all the grandsons over. It was a pretty day so they headed out to the back yard. I didn't hear from them for awhile and then seven year old Caleb and four year old Gibby came in the house. Caleb said (without any r's), "Granny Girl, do you have a basket with a handle or a bucket that we can use so we can achieve success with our zipline like we did with our outdoor bathroom?" Now, two things jumped out at me. First, how on earth does a seven year old know how to use the phrase achieve success? Second, an outdoor bathroom?
I asked about this outdoor bathroom, and Caleb gave me the skinny on it. He said (without any r's), "Evan thought it up, me and Gibby brought him the bricks, and Evan built it." And then Gibby stuck out his chest and said in his always loud voice, "I tried it out and it works!"
I found the perfect basket for them and headed outside to see this architectural wonder. Sure enough, they had achieved success with their outdoor bathroom.
Did you notice it has a doorway? And, it has a lovely arrangement of green leaves around the "toilet."
While Gibby was posing proudly by the bathroom he had tested, the other two guys were busy achieving success with their zipline.
Boy world. What a great place!
A couple of Saturdays ago I had all the grandsons over. It was a pretty day so they headed out to the back yard. I didn't hear from them for awhile and then seven year old Caleb and four year old Gibby came in the house. Caleb said (without any r's), "Granny Girl, do you have a basket with a handle or a bucket that we can use so we can achieve success with our zipline like we did with our outdoor bathroom?" Now, two things jumped out at me. First, how on earth does a seven year old know how to use the phrase achieve success? Second, an outdoor bathroom?
I asked about this outdoor bathroom, and Caleb gave me the skinny on it. He said (without any r's), "Evan thought it up, me and Gibby brought him the bricks, and Evan built it." And then Gibby stuck out his chest and said in his always loud voice, "I tried it out and it works!"
I found the perfect basket for them and headed outside to see this architectural wonder. Sure enough, they had achieved success with their outdoor bathroom.
Did you notice it has a doorway? And, it has a lovely arrangement of green leaves around the "toilet."
While Gibby was posing proudly by the bathroom he had tested, the other two guys were busy achieving success with their zipline.
Boy world. What a great place!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Good affliction?
by Granny Girl
I've been reading the daily devotional book 90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn that is written on the premise that God's goodness is absolute and we must trust in it even when life hands us hardships. The author has diabetes and he has had to personally work through this idea that affliction is something God uses in our lives to reveal His goodness.
I've been learning the lesson of how God's goodness can be found in affliction for many years now. The afflictions of Type 2 Diabetes, gluten intolerance and various food sensitivities have proven to be blessings in disguise as they have forced me to learn about nutrition and required me to take care of myself with diet and exercise. I'm now very healthy and thankful to God for the physical afflictions that keep me on the straight and narrow. In another arena, the hardship of having a dysfunctional marriage and subsequent divorce showed me how good God is to meet all my needs in every way possible. He has provided lavishly for me, giving me everything I need and the joy of a peaceful home.
Now I'm going through what could be described as the hardship of unemployment, but I'm choosing to see it as an opportunity to trust in God's goodness. Why would I doubt a God who has never once let me down? I was thinking on that this morning when I read these verses:
Psa. 119:71-72 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver."
Is that cool or what????
I've been reading the daily devotional book 90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn that is written on the premise that God's goodness is absolute and we must trust in it even when life hands us hardships. The author has diabetes and he has had to personally work through this idea that affliction is something God uses in our lives to reveal His goodness.
I've been learning the lesson of how God's goodness can be found in affliction for many years now. The afflictions of Type 2 Diabetes, gluten intolerance and various food sensitivities have proven to be blessings in disguise as they have forced me to learn about nutrition and required me to take care of myself with diet and exercise. I'm now very healthy and thankful to God for the physical afflictions that keep me on the straight and narrow. In another arena, the hardship of having a dysfunctional marriage and subsequent divorce showed me how good God is to meet all my needs in every way possible. He has provided lavishly for me, giving me everything I need and the joy of a peaceful home.
Now I'm going through what could be described as the hardship of unemployment, but I'm choosing to see it as an opportunity to trust in God's goodness. Why would I doubt a God who has never once let me down? I was thinking on that this morning when I read these verses:
Psa. 119:71-72 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver."
Is that cool or what????
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