Rollercoaster of Career Paths...

Hello! You know you haven't blogged for a long time when my goggle chrome doesn't recognize it right away. ha! Due to my senior year, I haven't kept up with this here blog. Might be time, but probably more because after writing papers all the time, it's the last thing I want to do.Anyway, I thought I would share with you what's been going on in our career paths as of the end of the summer. It's been quite the rollercoaster!


*Let's go back a little further. During our first year of marriage, life and careers took turns and twists and we both found ourselves starting the summer of 2011 in our original summer jobs that we swore we would never return to. But God worked. David was able to bring Zach on at Agri-tech, which was a real blessing for him. I was able to help a new boss get going at faith, plus I made two very good friends! Tashika and Liz! Scratch that-3... Ceceilia (my new boss) of course!In the end, we were both thankful God put us where he did.


*SO, At the beginning of the summer I received a phone call from a friend asking if she could give David's number to someone who was in need of a Property Manager for his rental business. I of course said yes! David met with the man, and they temporarily agreed but David couldn't start til the end of the summer. SO basically we were stoked out of our minds that David would get such an amazing opportunity and that God showed us this at the beginning of the summer, so David wouldn't stress out about having a job for the fall.


*David ended his summer at the end of August, and had quit Lowes permanately that spring, and was ready to become a property manager! Then the thing that you never want...He could not get a hold of the man for 2 weeks. He finally met with him, they agreed to a 6 month plan where David would slowly take over the business and made it "official"...but didn't sign anything. Over the course of the next two weeks, we started our management company, we decided to keep the truck for work purposes -even though we had originally decided to sell the truck when we get a new car. I say two weeks, because it happened again. We couldn't get a hold of him. David fiinally did, where they met at 7AM for breakfast, contracts in hand. David came home a half an hour later. Business deal officially off. The man no longer needed him. I will never forget the feeling of my heart falling into my stomach when I heard that door open at 7:30AM. 


*We bummed out for a few minutes than we started talking about how God must be protecting us from something. We were also wary of a few small but potentially big issues with the person, so we could see how we may have dodged a bullet. But we were left answering the question, WHY?? The entire time, we felt like this experience was such a GOD thing. He orchestrated it to fall into place. We found out at a great time, as to eliminate stress on David. We made decisions we wouldn't have done otherwise. But our greatest issue was wasted time. Not only did we miss out on a months worth of pay, but it meant more days without pay while David searched for a job. We just don't understand it all. Yes, God definitely could have used this blimp in our life to perfect timing, and to help us make decisions we wouldn't have otherwise. But still...why this? Why get our hopes up to a level I never thought existed...then this??? I know there's a reason...but for now I wait and trust my God.


*Where are we now? Well David got a job at Wells Fargo as a Loan Document Specialist and just got home from his 3rd day. Insurance, pay we need and great hours. Praise the Lord! I am even more thankful for his summer job that carried us this fall while he didn't work. The week we got our new car (a week before school started), God worked it out for me to get a nanny job! It has worked out perfectly! It has been such a blessing. In other news, BIG news, I just got offered an internship position with the medical programming director at the YMCA Healthy Living Center of DSM. SO stoked. God really worked in that too. My dad is really good friends with the Head director there, who is a Christian. Come to find out he is on our board for my major, so I snagged him when it was time to do mock interviews. Thankful that my Dad was kind to the man! Here I am...an intern :) I start next semester!


*Thanks to everyone for praying for us as we journey through this part of our lives! Have you been through a time you didn't understand and asked God "WHY?"...How did you handle it? What did you discover? I would really appreciate your input!

"Money,money,money, MONey"

oh money. How I hate you. Have you ever had one of those moments---or for us, a month where you feel like all you do is dump a couple bricks of money here, a couple more there...? If you're a college student, since it's august you are probably experiencing the same thing. In addition to the financial demand of college all my technologies/necessities decided to poop out on me. 1st I had to get contacts and glasses..ya, with no insurance and being used to my parents paying for it...eye problems can be oober expensive! And I only have one eye thats bad! I can't imagine the rest of you who have to fix two eyes! The same day my phone crapped out.lovely...
{the tale of God's gift...aka..my escape :) )----continue reading beyond for my marriage question!
When we had gotten our income tax return this spring, we had decided to use part of it to buy a "new" car. Well, David hadn't had much time to look for cars, and we weren't desperate, so we just did some online looking once in a while. The 2 weeks work has slowed down so we were able to do some more looking. Not to mention the past month or so every week there has been a problem with either one of our cars. So this became a little more of a motivation-ha! Last weekend, my brother bought a car from COUNTY LINE in Grimes, Ia. This is where Faith gets their cars, and if you have any connection with Faith, he gives great discounts. Just being a Christian probably will help! He is a Christian, and goes to Maranatha, and loves being a help to people in the ministry. I would highly recommend it!! So anyway, while I was with my brother picking up his truck, I spied this silver escape...and decided I should make it mine.haha...So I brought David out, and God provided it to us for the right miles and price! Praise God!


Oh, Did I mention that my laptop is showing signs of elderlyness, and also my ipod's battery is barely alive. So, I'm just praying that they will hold out!! 


* I'm told that money can be a huge issue in a marriage. The Bible supports that theory....money is the root of all evil. David and I handle money differently. I buy in small increments here and there. A $7 scarf here, a $5 cute decor item, there.you get the picture...now david, he penny pinches, penny pinches, then BAM he dropped a few hundred on whatever. Drives me crazy. In the end, I know its a wash...but man! And in most cases a husband and wife will have different priorities with money. I know we do! So I'm just wondering how you ya'll have dealt with money in a marriage. Any pointers!?  I'm quite excited to spend eternity in a moneyless heaven :) Thanks for stoppin by!...even when money weighs you down...always keep heart!

"I Spy God in a Big Way" at Camp Fairwood.

On Friday, the 15th, my boss was telling us that the upcoming week we didn't have a lot of work to do so we would probably have to take time off...while she was telling us this I got a call from the Director of Camp Fairwood asking me if I would be able to be a counselor the same week. Um...I really don't think God can make it more clear. David said it was alright, considering he's never home anyway. So I told Pastor Brad that I was able, but I would need transportation. A couple hours later, God provided that also!! So just when I thought I would never get to camp this year, God sent me to Fairwood. I had never been there before but had heard it was incredible! So I took off a couple days before camp started. I had a blast getting to know the place and the people. They were so open to me and by the end of the week, I felt like I had been on staff all summer. There are some truly amazing and fun ladies there! I love them! Camp started monday, the age group was 5-6th graders. IT WAS HOTT. OH my. no airconditioning. But God still worked! 

                               

These are my girls :) Even though this age can be a handful and at times..annoying...I love working with them because this is the age where there eyes really are opened. They have lots of questions and things start making sense. At this age doubt of salvation has usually been in there mind, and this is often when they choose to make God theirs forever, either through rededication of life to God or assurance of salvation. That's at least the age I was when I came to that point. I got the amazing opprotunity to lead two of the girls to Christ. Specifically the one in the middle with the writing on her shirt, and the one on the far right with a red shirt :) It was amazing to watch as they dug into God's word to read truth, and then to come to the saving knowledge of Christ!! I had two girls decide to get baptized! 4 girls committed to spending 20 min for 20 days in their Bibles and through prayer. One girl was just so excited about what God is doing in her life and one night she shared a verse that she calls her "I spy God in a Big way" verse. Her family is going through a hard time financially but she shared in the Bible how God will always take care of you. It did my heart good to see her loving God and being so blown away by him, even at 12. I did have 2 very homesick girls, but both made it to the end of the week and did admit to having fun :) So that was exciting! I love how God always has a plan. For some reason, he decided to send me there. And he sent the girls he did. I spy God in a Big Way at Camp Fairwood!