Kelley says....
I can't believe I haven't posted in a month. But I finally get to tell you about my awesome job. To start this post, I have to go back to earlier in the summer when we were looking for a house and I discovered that I was a victim of criminal identity theft. In the midst of all the stress involved trying to sort that all out, I knew without a doubt that God was letting this all be revealed and dealt with because the job I would get would require a background check. I just knew it.
Before moving to where we are now, I had a very strong sense that there was this perfect job waiting for me here. I felt that God had already prepared it for me. So I started to get a little confused when we moved here and no job was presenting itself. So, while I was here with nothing to do I decided I would keep in contact with my Life-Coach and mentor as I worked through it all. With everything that had gone on in my life in the last two years she just told me very frankly that I needed to work on "me". And she suggested that I quit "looking" for a job entirely because with everything that I was going through I would attract the wrong job to myself. So that is what I did. I quit looking and really dug deep into the word. I prayed, prayed, prayed!! I fasted and just snuggled up as close as I could get to God.
When I was looking for work, I was submitting my resume all over for admin positions in the corporate world. Mainly because I did not want to work in a church environment again. But I didn't want to work in the corporate environment either but really didn't think I had a choice. I wanted to work around believers and in a Christian environment but I just didn't know how that was going to be possible without working for a church. One day I was at my computer and just randomly decided to do a search on Craigslist for "Christian Ministry". Lo and behold one listing showed up. It didn't say what ministry but I met the majority of the requirements so I just sent my resume over and honestly didn't think much more about it.
As I kept thinking about how much I really did NOT want to go back to work for corporate America, I just came to the conclusion that I just had to apply at a church to work in the environment I was looking for. So, I went and gave my resume to the church where we attend. Within one hour of submitting my resume, I got an e-mail asking if I could come in for an interview somewhere else. I had applied at so many different places that I didn't even know who was asking for the interview!! Something in the e-mail jogged my memory about that Craigslist posting. I went back and searched for it and then discovered that it was in fact that job!!
And don't you know that the very moment I found out that they would be doing a background check that I KNEW I had the job. I knew that God had been preparing this position for me and that it was mine. I was pretty excited about it just by the research I was doing on the internet about the organization. But once I started interviewing and really finding out what I was about to be a part of, I am just still in total awe of God and how he went before me so long ago to get me to where I am at this very moment.
I am realizing that this awesome news cannot be posted in just one post. So I will at least tell you a little about what it is before wrapping up. It is for a non-profit organization who helps underprivileged families get back on their feet. The awesome thing is that they help those who help themselves. They are doing so many amazing things and there is so much more that I will have to post more later. But, I have to go to work! So I can't wait to share what all I "get" to do and be a part of at my job but every single day on my way in to work, I thank God for my job.
It is amazing and I think a complete miracle that not only would I get an awesome job in this economy but that I would get one that I absolutely love and cannot wait to get to every single day. I must say, I have never before had a job where I felt this way.
To be continued....
Monday, December 19, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Are you overlooking the miracles right in front of you?
Kelley says....
Okay, I think it is time to share some of the miracles that have happened this year, don't ya think? The first thing that comes to mind is when I discovered that my childhood friend had been arrested multiple times and had used my name. This prevented us from getting a house that was very close to Deryl's job. However, after the initial shock, I just knew in my heart that God allowed that to come up because he had a better house for us and that I would end up getting a job that would require a background check. We now live in the biggest house we have ever lived in and in the nicest area we have ever lived in for CHEAPER than we paid in Texas!
When I first found out about all the identity theft I called an attorney here in Georgia who proceeded to tell me that I would have to hire an attorney in Texas and that this was not going to be any sort of quick process. Basically he told me that getting identity theft cleared up is one of the hardest things to do especially since this was a criminal identity theft. Today, I got a notarized letter from the District Attorney in Texas that totally and completely expunged my name so I have a clean record now....with only GOD as my attorney. This is a miracle indeed!!
I started my new job on Oct 11, my mom's birthday. I cannot begin to put into words how much I love my job. I cannot wait to go to work every day. Actually, my weekends go by so slow now because I am longing to be back at work. I have NEVER felt that way about any job I have ever had. To see firsthand God at work each and every single day of the week is just amazing. My job really has meaning. What I do helps everyone else who works there do their job effectively. Salvation's happens all the time there on a regular basis. There are many more volunteers than there are staff and the volunteers are what is making it happen! These aren't your every day volunteers. These people come in many days a week like clock work each and every single week. They work like it is their real job. They work like it is their own organization and like they are being paid. I am amazed each and every day. They are all so very kind and so giving. I just stay in awe.
So, I found out that not only has a Monday prayer group been praying since early 2011 for the right person to fill my position literally hundreds of people have been praying for this. During the worst time of my ENTIRE life....God had complete strangers praying for me. This just amazes me. I stay amazed at the goodness of God. To think that he truly has gone before me is so awesome. And what amazes me now is that I know that even now he is going before me for even greater things. My work needed me as much as I needed them and they don't even know it! Wow, we serve such a mighty God.
Secondly, one night during my whole interview process, Deryl and I went to a track to get some exercise. He ran and I walked. When you pull into this place there is a park and a library and a skate park. You drive past all of that down into the very back of the area where there is hardly any lighting and there is a football field and a track. It was just us and one other couple. When I was done, I went and sat in the car. While in Deryl's car I discovered yet another lie he had told me. He came to the car and all hell broke loose. At the same time, he started the car and it wouldn't start! Here we were with no one to call and had no idea what to do. The only other couple there didn't have jumper cables. Deryl wants to get the car started and I want to talk about what in the heck I had just found out.
We decide that we should walk up to the skate park since there were always a ton of people there. Literally, we walked up to 5 different cars which all had men in them by the way and every single one said they didn't have cables. I am sure we didn't look like the most friendly and honest people in the world. Here I was absolutely furious with Deryl and he had just finished a 30 minute run and was all sweaty. For some unknown reason I decide to walk up to a woman's mini-van. When I walked up, I saw in her lap a bible and a Beth Moore study and I knew she was my ticket home. She was so scared as I would have been as well. She barely cracked her window and to make a very long story short, it ends up that we lived about 10 houses from each other and attend the same church!!!! Not only that but she was Rachel's small group youth leader!
Now mind you, I was in the middle of interviewing for my current job. I think I had already had my second interview and was pretty convinced I had the job. So I was starting to get worried about the girls having to take the bus. Well don't you know that God let me become friends with this woman and her children go to the girls same schools. She offered to help us with the girls and had that not all happened at the exact time that it did, I would have never met her! We DO serve an on time GOD!!!!
Let us not forget that just because God doesn't answer our prayers the way WE want him to does not mean that he has not answered. Answers to our prayers are ALL around us. We just have to look for them and sometime get a new perspective. I hope this encourages you to know that it just does NOT matter how things look on the outside. God DOES work ALL THINGS together for HIS good!!!! ALL things, not just the things you can't handle! There are so many more miracles. I will post them as I remember them. I will also do a special post about my job soon. It is just amazing. I can't believe the work they do there. I think it is the world's best kept secret and should no longer be a secret! I want the world to know about the non-profit I work for because God is showing up every single day and I can't wait to see what he has in store for me and many others in the upcoming months!!
Okay, I think it is time to share some of the miracles that have happened this year, don't ya think? The first thing that comes to mind is when I discovered that my childhood friend had been arrested multiple times and had used my name. This prevented us from getting a house that was very close to Deryl's job. However, after the initial shock, I just knew in my heart that God allowed that to come up because he had a better house for us and that I would end up getting a job that would require a background check. We now live in the biggest house we have ever lived in and in the nicest area we have ever lived in for CHEAPER than we paid in Texas!
When I first found out about all the identity theft I called an attorney here in Georgia who proceeded to tell me that I would have to hire an attorney in Texas and that this was not going to be any sort of quick process. Basically he told me that getting identity theft cleared up is one of the hardest things to do especially since this was a criminal identity theft. Today, I got a notarized letter from the District Attorney in Texas that totally and completely expunged my name so I have a clean record now....with only GOD as my attorney. This is a miracle indeed!!
I started my new job on Oct 11, my mom's birthday. I cannot begin to put into words how much I love my job. I cannot wait to go to work every day. Actually, my weekends go by so slow now because I am longing to be back at work. I have NEVER felt that way about any job I have ever had. To see firsthand God at work each and every single day of the week is just amazing. My job really has meaning. What I do helps everyone else who works there do their job effectively. Salvation's happens all the time there on a regular basis. There are many more volunteers than there are staff and the volunteers are what is making it happen! These aren't your every day volunteers. These people come in many days a week like clock work each and every single week. They work like it is their real job. They work like it is their own organization and like they are being paid. I am amazed each and every day. They are all so very kind and so giving. I just stay in awe.
So, I found out that not only has a Monday prayer group been praying since early 2011 for the right person to fill my position literally hundreds of people have been praying for this. During the worst time of my ENTIRE life....God had complete strangers praying for me. This just amazes me. I stay amazed at the goodness of God. To think that he truly has gone before me is so awesome. And what amazes me now is that I know that even now he is going before me for even greater things. My work needed me as much as I needed them and they don't even know it! Wow, we serve such a mighty God.
Secondly, one night during my whole interview process, Deryl and I went to a track to get some exercise. He ran and I walked. When you pull into this place there is a park and a library and a skate park. You drive past all of that down into the very back of the area where there is hardly any lighting and there is a football field and a track. It was just us and one other couple. When I was done, I went and sat in the car. While in Deryl's car I discovered yet another lie he had told me. He came to the car and all hell broke loose. At the same time, he started the car and it wouldn't start! Here we were with no one to call and had no idea what to do. The only other couple there didn't have jumper cables. Deryl wants to get the car started and I want to talk about what in the heck I had just found out.
We decide that we should walk up to the skate park since there were always a ton of people there. Literally, we walked up to 5 different cars which all had men in them by the way and every single one said they didn't have cables. I am sure we didn't look like the most friendly and honest people in the world. Here I was absolutely furious with Deryl and he had just finished a 30 minute run and was all sweaty. For some unknown reason I decide to walk up to a woman's mini-van. When I walked up, I saw in her lap a bible and a Beth Moore study and I knew she was my ticket home. She was so scared as I would have been as well. She barely cracked her window and to make a very long story short, it ends up that we lived about 10 houses from each other and attend the same church!!!! Not only that but she was Rachel's small group youth leader!
Now mind you, I was in the middle of interviewing for my current job. I think I had already had my second interview and was pretty convinced I had the job. So I was starting to get worried about the girls having to take the bus. Well don't you know that God let me become friends with this woman and her children go to the girls same schools. She offered to help us with the girls and had that not all happened at the exact time that it did, I would have never met her! We DO serve an on time GOD!!!!
Let us not forget that just because God doesn't answer our prayers the way WE want him to does not mean that he has not answered. Answers to our prayers are ALL around us. We just have to look for them and sometime get a new perspective. I hope this encourages you to know that it just does NOT matter how things look on the outside. God DOES work ALL THINGS together for HIS good!!!! ALL things, not just the things you can't handle! There are so many more miracles. I will post them as I remember them. I will also do a special post about my job soon. It is just amazing. I can't believe the work they do there. I think it is the world's best kept secret and should no longer be a secret! I want the world to know about the non-profit I work for because God is showing up every single day and I can't wait to see what he has in store for me and many others in the upcoming months!!
Friday, October 21, 2011
"Different, but better"
Kelley says.......
When I found out about what Deryl had been doing back in February, as you can imagine, I was in shock. I was completely devastated. From the very day that I called my sister and told her what was going on she told me that she knew how bad it was and what it looked like but in her spirit she saw Deryl and I married. She said she knew God had a calling on our lives and that God hasn't changed his mind. Each and every single time, she would claim this, speak this over me.
One of the things she told Deryl and then told me later was that God was going to work this all out and that it was going to be "Different, but better" Okay, great.....that is just wonderful I thought to myself. I don't like different but better. I didn't even like the sound of it. All I could think of was well, what in the world does different exactly mean? I'm sick of different and it doesn't seem better.
Let me explain. When she said this all I could think of was the following...
You may wonder how something like the last one could be different, but better. But this woman was amazing. She knew she wasn't going to make it. I never ONCE heard her complain. She cried a lot because she did worry about her husband and boys. But she was at complete peace with whatever God's will was. She would post FB statuses like "Lord, please take away this pain but I am so very blessed regardless". And she meant it! Her name was Angel and I truly wonder if she wasn't really one of those "Angel's in disguise" you can read about in the bible. Anyway, when her husband called me he went on and on about how much Angel thought of me and how much I meant to her. That meant the world to me because my heart is to touch the lives of many, many women. The fact that God allowed me, Kelley McElreath, to take part of some joy in the life of this precious lady amazes me and humbles me.
Now on to Deryl. Most of this year when I thought about that phrase "Different, but better" when it came to my marriage I just couldn't picture it. Deryl and I have always had a near perfect marriage. I don't think we had ever in our marriage had fights like we have had this year. Our kid's had actually never in their entire lives seen us fight. I can't tell you how many couple's came to us just to be near us because they longed to have a marriage like ours. I actually had a MINISTER tell me that if my children had never seen us fight then we just needed to learn how to fight!!!! WHAT?!?!? What terrible advice. God has blessed me with a wonderful, wonderful man. And just because others fight like crazy in their marriage does not make mine wrong!! I had to hold onto the Deryl I married. The Deryl I knew and loved even when I couldn't stand the sight of him. I HAD to force myself to see him through God's eyes and this was not always easy. But I KNEW what kind of marriage we had and I KNEW we were obviously meant to do great and mighty things for God's kingdom or the enemy wouldn't be so persistent in trying to take us down.
Now that we are finally on the other side of all our marital trials, Deryl is a better husband than I ever knew him to be. And I have always thought he was absolutely the most wonderful husband in the world!! But now he makes time to pray, meditate and get in the word every single morning. I see the fruits of all the prayers and fasting that was done on his behalf. It is beautiful, it is amazing, it is simply wonderful. I thank God every day that he had me in a place where I was financially unable to leave him. Yes, things are "Different but boy they are SO much better"
When you find yourself down, ask yourself what is "Different, but Better" in your life?
When I found out about what Deryl had been doing back in February, as you can imagine, I was in shock. I was completely devastated. From the very day that I called my sister and told her what was going on she told me that she knew how bad it was and what it looked like but in her spirit she saw Deryl and I married. She said she knew God had a calling on our lives and that God hasn't changed his mind. Each and every single time, she would claim this, speak this over me.
One of the things she told Deryl and then told me later was that God was going to work this all out and that it was going to be "Different, but better" Okay, great.....that is just wonderful I thought to myself. I don't like different but better. I didn't even like the sound of it. All I could think of was well, what in the world does different exactly mean? I'm sick of different and it doesn't seem better.
Let me explain. When she said this all I could think of was the following...
- I lost my breasts and now they are all scarred up and far from perfect......yeah, I don't think I like different, but better.
- When I lost my hair it grew back and now I at least have hair.......yeah, still not liking different, but better.
- I got to get chemo and reduce my chance of a recurrence but I STILL have lingering side effects.....different, but better?
- I left Texas and all my breast cancer support team.....DIFFERENT, BUT BETTER???????
- My boobs may be scarred and they might not look like what I anticipated but I AM ALIVE!!!!
- My hair was indeed long, thick and very pretty before cancer but now I wear it in a style I NEVER would have worn when I was the person I was before my cancer journey! And I get more compliments on it now than I ever in my life have had on my hair.
- Chemo side effects just suck. No one should have to go through these things. But again, I AM ALIVE!!!! AND, it helps others know I am not perfect. For a very long time, because of my determination to do well at all I do, I would come across as "perfect" to others. This always broke my heart because if only they could know the life I have had and got to know "me" as a person, they would know differently. Now that I can't always think of words or phrases that anyone else can or I totally misunderstand a simple instruction, God has shown me that people get to see right away my imperfections which takes away from what has happened in the past. What a blessing!
- I had three amazing support groups in Texas. I didn't think I would ever find a group here. The first one I went to here was all older women and not one was my age. But the second one I found was AMAZING. I was immediately drawn to these two women and the group was huge. After the group they BOTH came up to me and told me they felt a God connection to me and wanted my contact info!! I have become very good friends with one of them. The other one was one of 11 people in the entire world that had her kind of cancer. I knew the moment I heard her story she was going to die. I felt it in my spirit. We went to lunch together and shared our testimonies. I told her my whole testimony, something I have only told to maybe 2 people, EVER. She didn't judge me for one second. Then she needed a ride home after group one night and I got to spend a while talking to her. The next 3 weeks I wanted to go visit her and we were going to get together but each week something happened. One week, she had to go have fluid taken off her abdomen, the next week was the same thing, the next week she was hospitalized. She did come home towards the end of last week but she wasn't replying to my texts or FB messages. She was an admin assistant like myself and I knew it just wasn't like her to not get back with me. I called and left her a voice mail telling her I was really starting to get worried about her and to please call me. Finally, I decided I couldn't take it any longer so I drove to her house. I got about half way there and a number shows up on my phone that I did not recognize. If I don't recognize it, I don't answer. But something told me to answer it. I did and it was her husband calling to tell me she passed away Wednesday.
You may wonder how something like the last one could be different, but better. But this woman was amazing. She knew she wasn't going to make it. I never ONCE heard her complain. She cried a lot because she did worry about her husband and boys. But she was at complete peace with whatever God's will was. She would post FB statuses like "Lord, please take away this pain but I am so very blessed regardless". And she meant it! Her name was Angel and I truly wonder if she wasn't really one of those "Angel's in disguise" you can read about in the bible. Anyway, when her husband called me he went on and on about how much Angel thought of me and how much I meant to her. That meant the world to me because my heart is to touch the lives of many, many women. The fact that God allowed me, Kelley McElreath, to take part of some joy in the life of this precious lady amazes me and humbles me.
Now on to Deryl. Most of this year when I thought about that phrase "Different, but better" when it came to my marriage I just couldn't picture it. Deryl and I have always had a near perfect marriage. I don't think we had ever in our marriage had fights like we have had this year. Our kid's had actually never in their entire lives seen us fight. I can't tell you how many couple's came to us just to be near us because they longed to have a marriage like ours. I actually had a MINISTER tell me that if my children had never seen us fight then we just needed to learn how to fight!!!! WHAT?!?!? What terrible advice. God has blessed me with a wonderful, wonderful man. And just because others fight like crazy in their marriage does not make mine wrong!! I had to hold onto the Deryl I married. The Deryl I knew and loved even when I couldn't stand the sight of him. I HAD to force myself to see him through God's eyes and this was not always easy. But I KNEW what kind of marriage we had and I KNEW we were obviously meant to do great and mighty things for God's kingdom or the enemy wouldn't be so persistent in trying to take us down.
Now that we are finally on the other side of all our marital trials, Deryl is a better husband than I ever knew him to be. And I have always thought he was absolutely the most wonderful husband in the world!! But now he makes time to pray, meditate and get in the word every single morning. I see the fruits of all the prayers and fasting that was done on his behalf. It is beautiful, it is amazing, it is simply wonderful. I thank God every day that he had me in a place where I was financially unable to leave him. Yes, things are "Different but boy they are SO much better"
When you find yourself down, ask yourself what is "Different, but Better" in your life?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Kelley's SHUT YO MOUTH Challenge!!
Isn't it just like God to smack you upside your head with truth from the word that you NEVER even knew was there!?!?I spent last week fasting and praying about some different things going on right now in my life. One of the "words" I thought I was getting from the Lord was that I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Ouch! Don't you just love it when you are praying with all your heart for someone else and then God shows you how YOU need to change?! So, last week I started trying to put this into practice and I ended up having the best week I have had this entire year!
Last year, I did a 30 day "Worry-free" challenge with a couple of my friends. So today I started thinking if I could do a "Shut My Mouth" challenge or not. Well, as I started thinking about how difficult it would be I really sensed the Holy Spirit telling me that for the challenge, if it is not something that absolutely builds up, encourages, edifies and uplifts the person I am speaking to then it just doesn't need to be said.
You know how it is when you start something...you always say you will start the next day or on Monday, right? So, I decided I will start tomorrow! But seriously, all throughout the day today I started not only thinking about what I say but also what I am "thinking" about saying. Whoa!! I think some not so nice things!! I really felt SO convicted! I started to know without a doubt that this was in fact what God was calling me to do.
As a final confirmation, when I came home and was looking on Facebook, a friend of mine posted as his status the following scripture.
Proverbs 17:28:
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
SO...that was all I needed to go ahead and start the challenge this very day! Will you join me? I KNOW without a doubt that God is going to do a work in me throughout the next 30 days as I do this challenge. But I wonder how much it will effect OTHERS in my life and how much it will change my relationships. I have a feeling that at first, I won't be saying much!! But I expect BIG things from my GOD! I expect that HE will give me the words to edify each person I come into contact with and it will bless them tremendously and myself as well. I think I am going to make this a challenge to my children as well. I can't wait to see how it goes and what God does. ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE???? ARE YOU READY TO SHUT YO MOUTH????
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Pondering about FAITH
I have been pondering some things this week. I am mostly interested in getting your feedback and hearing what everyone else thinks about this topic. The topic is FAITH. I think there are two schools of thought or I guess you could believe both.
1. In order for your faith to work you must believe and put that faith into action.
2. Someone else can stand in the gap for you and their faith can work in your circumstance.
I myself tend to believe both scenarios are possible. In my experience it seems like the things I have struggled to believe for much of my life for example let's say "finances", that is where God wants me to step out and put my faith in action. But then on some things that come up that just seem totally impossible but someone else sees clearly that things are going to be okay, they can stand in the gap for you, pray and believe and put "their" faith into action on your behalf.
For instance, when I was diagnosed, several women came up to me and said they just had a strong sense in their spirit that this was all going to be okay. That it might be a difficult road but in the end I would be cancer free. I trust the discernment of these women so it was so easy for me to resonate with what they were saying.
So, what about when everything looks impossible? And maybe no one is standing in the gap for you or maybe you just do not fully trust everything is going to be okay because you yourself discern it? I think these questions trip believers up. Especially if you have had a particularly difficult life. Because I think if you have had terrible things happen to you it is so hard not to expect the worst from most situations. If you have had a fairly easy life, then it would be much easier to believe the best in every situation.
However, on the flip side of this, if you have had a difficult life and the worst has happened to you then I am confident that there has also been many times God has come through for you. So we have to do what David did and that is to encourage OURSELVES in the Lord remembering all he has done for us.
But is that enough? What if that isn't working? Then what do you do? What if you are a solid Christian and you love the Lord with ALL of your heart but your faith in a certain situation in wavering? The real question I am pondering is this.....If you do find yourself wavering, does that mean that no matter what you do it will not work out favorably? Simply because you don't believe??
I am really ready for some good comments here so please let me know your thoughts!! If you can't figure out how to comment on my blog, you can e-mail me your thoughts kelley@feelthetatas.com or leave them on FB.
1. In order for your faith to work you must believe and put that faith into action.
2. Someone else can stand in the gap for you and their faith can work in your circumstance.
I myself tend to believe both scenarios are possible. In my experience it seems like the things I have struggled to believe for much of my life for example let's say "finances", that is where God wants me to step out and put my faith in action. But then on some things that come up that just seem totally impossible but someone else sees clearly that things are going to be okay, they can stand in the gap for you, pray and believe and put "their" faith into action on your behalf.
For instance, when I was diagnosed, several women came up to me and said they just had a strong sense in their spirit that this was all going to be okay. That it might be a difficult road but in the end I would be cancer free. I trust the discernment of these women so it was so easy for me to resonate with what they were saying.
So, what about when everything looks impossible? And maybe no one is standing in the gap for you or maybe you just do not fully trust everything is going to be okay because you yourself discern it? I think these questions trip believers up. Especially if you have had a particularly difficult life. Because I think if you have had terrible things happen to you it is so hard not to expect the worst from most situations. If you have had a fairly easy life, then it would be much easier to believe the best in every situation.
However, on the flip side of this, if you have had a difficult life and the worst has happened to you then I am confident that there has also been many times God has come through for you. So we have to do what David did and that is to encourage OURSELVES in the Lord remembering all he has done for us.
But is that enough? What if that isn't working? Then what do you do? What if you are a solid Christian and you love the Lord with ALL of your heart but your faith in a certain situation in wavering? The real question I am pondering is this.....If you do find yourself wavering, does that mean that no matter what you do it will not work out favorably? Simply because you don't believe??
I am really ready for some good comments here so please let me know your thoughts!! If you can't figure out how to comment on my blog, you can e-mail me your thoughts kelley@feelthetatas.com or leave them on FB.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Prayer request!!!!!!!!
Here is one of my very favorite quotes. "A person who lives in faith must proceed on incomplete evidence, trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse" Phillip Yancey
Remember when I posted about my whole identity theft drama? If you didn't read it and are interested, the title is "Identity Theft" you can just scroll down on my blog and look for it. Anyway, when all that happened I was 100% sure that God had allowed that to happen because of something bigger. I thought to myself how what if I were to go volunteer or work for the American Caner Society (which is a dream of mine) and they did a background check. How EMBARRASSING! I might not have even got the job and might not have even known why!
I just knew in my heart that as shocking as it was to find this out and especially to find out the work it was going to take me to get it worked out that somehow God was in it. My biggest thought was that wherever I did end up working or volunteering, they were going to do a background check and I needed to have that worked out in advance.
Since moving to our house at the end of June I have been applying for admin jobs. Of course I was secretly hoping that I would not get an interview because I really wasn't sure I wanted to go back and work in the corporate environment. My vision is to fulfill my purpose....to help women. If I had everything I dreamed of I would work directly with newly diagnosed Breast Cancer patients and I would coach women after their treatment ends.
Well, early sometime this month I just decided totally random that I would do a search in the admin jobs section of Craigslist on "Christian Ministry". Can you believe that something came up titled exactly that in a city near where I live!?!?!?!? I go check it out and I meet all the requirements and have all the skill sets except for maybe one thing that I totally know I can learn very quickly. But the real kicker is that at the bottom it said you have to undergo a background check! WHOA...when I saw that, I just knew that this was for me.
So early last week I went in for my 1st interview and it went great. I have my second interview on September 16th. I must say that I hated the fact that I had to tell them about the identity theft and then I had to give them a letter from the District Attorney in Dallas with all my fingerprints on it to make a copy of. I think the reason that part bothered me so much is that when people don't know you they really have no idea if you are telling the truth or not. But, I just was very honest about everything knowing that if it was meant for me to have this job, then it would be mine.
The funny thing is that on Monday of this week I really started to pray for this organization that God would send the right person to them even if that person isn't me. Then today, I got the e-mail about my second interview! They are a non-profit that helps underprivileged people to get back on their feet. But one of the most incredible things is that they also have a ministry called "Ladies of the Light". These women have gone from being "Ladies of the Night" to "Ladies of the Light". They help them make jewelry so they can support themselves!! I just think this is so incredible!! What an amazing thing to do. Growing up in poverty myself I just couldn't believe every page I went to on their website brought tears to my eyes. I wondered how much my life might have been different if there was something like this for me and my mom.
So anyway, I am asking for you to pray that I will do a good job at my second interview on Sept. 16th at 10:00 my time which is 9:00 Central. That God would speak through me and give me wisdom and that if I am the person for the job, it would be very evident to them. But that if I am not the person for the job that they would choose the perfect person that would be loyal to them for many years to come and do a great job. I do hope that it is me but I know that if it is not, God has something else that is perfect for me and my purpose.
I just love that song that says "I don't want to sit around and wait for someone else to do what God has called me to do myself. Oh, I could choose not to move but I refuse" What is God calling YOU to do????
Remember when I posted about my whole identity theft drama? If you didn't read it and are interested, the title is "Identity Theft" you can just scroll down on my blog and look for it. Anyway, when all that happened I was 100% sure that God had allowed that to happen because of something bigger. I thought to myself how what if I were to go volunteer or work for the American Caner Society (which is a dream of mine) and they did a background check. How EMBARRASSING! I might not have even got the job and might not have even known why!
I just knew in my heart that as shocking as it was to find this out and especially to find out the work it was going to take me to get it worked out that somehow God was in it. My biggest thought was that wherever I did end up working or volunteering, they were going to do a background check and I needed to have that worked out in advance.
Since moving to our house at the end of June I have been applying for admin jobs. Of course I was secretly hoping that I would not get an interview because I really wasn't sure I wanted to go back and work in the corporate environment. My vision is to fulfill my purpose....to help women. If I had everything I dreamed of I would work directly with newly diagnosed Breast Cancer patients and I would coach women after their treatment ends.
Well, early sometime this month I just decided totally random that I would do a search in the admin jobs section of Craigslist on "Christian Ministry". Can you believe that something came up titled exactly that in a city near where I live!?!?!?!? I go check it out and I meet all the requirements and have all the skill sets except for maybe one thing that I totally know I can learn very quickly. But the real kicker is that at the bottom it said you have to undergo a background check! WHOA...when I saw that, I just knew that this was for me.
So early last week I went in for my 1st interview and it went great. I have my second interview on September 16th. I must say that I hated the fact that I had to tell them about the identity theft and then I had to give them a letter from the District Attorney in Dallas with all my fingerprints on it to make a copy of. I think the reason that part bothered me so much is that when people don't know you they really have no idea if you are telling the truth or not. But, I just was very honest about everything knowing that if it was meant for me to have this job, then it would be mine.
The funny thing is that on Monday of this week I really started to pray for this organization that God would send the right person to them even if that person isn't me. Then today, I got the e-mail about my second interview! They are a non-profit that helps underprivileged people to get back on their feet. But one of the most incredible things is that they also have a ministry called "Ladies of the Light". These women have gone from being "Ladies of the Night" to "Ladies of the Light". They help them make jewelry so they can support themselves!! I just think this is so incredible!! What an amazing thing to do. Growing up in poverty myself I just couldn't believe every page I went to on their website brought tears to my eyes. I wondered how much my life might have been different if there was something like this for me and my mom.
So anyway, I am asking for you to pray that I will do a good job at my second interview on Sept. 16th at 10:00 my time which is 9:00 Central. That God would speak through me and give me wisdom and that if I am the person for the job, it would be very evident to them. But that if I am not the person for the job that they would choose the perfect person that would be loyal to them for many years to come and do a great job. I do hope that it is me but I know that if it is not, God has something else that is perfect for me and my purpose.
I just love that song that says "I don't want to sit around and wait for someone else to do what God has called me to do myself. Oh, I could choose not to move but I refuse" What is God calling YOU to do????
Monday, August 22, 2011
Just for today
Last week I blogged about choosing to have a good day....deciding to. It has been 8 days today since I got up that morning and CHOSE to get ready and face the day. I am so pleased to report that the last 8 days have been the best 8 days of 2011.
Today started out kind of shaky but I just did my routine of getting up, getting ready to face the day head on and then....I started to praise. Praise and pray. It is amazing how your day can get completely turned around if you will just praise God. Before I put on my worship music I caught myself starting to worry about things that are ALL out of my control. There wasn't one thing I was concerned about that I could control. The key is to catch yourself early on in the thought process. Many of the last 8 days including today, this has happened to me. But what I have done is just say to myself each day that every single one of those days have passed and here I am and everything is fine. Today, I did the same thing. I just said to myself that I am not going to let myself or my thoughts get out of control. I can just "be" in the moment today. And then you know what happens? I wake up tomorrow and it is day 9!!!!
I used to do this very thing religiously. But when major events happen in our lives, it is easy to get out of our routines. But that is when we need to do it the most!! The word does say that the enemy is out to kill, steal and to destroy. So the moment we let our guard down, he will attack. He is on the prowl and always will be.
Are YOU worried, concerned or stressed about some things in YOUR life? Then I challenge you everyday to do this. Just try it for one day and see how awesome it works. Right now, are you thinking worrisome thoughts? Give yourself today off. Just say that everything is going to be just fine and if you need to you can pick up that worry again tomorrow morning. Then when you wake up and see that all is well you can challenge yourself to do it for one more day.
I am certain you will have an amazing day if you just stick to it. I would love to hear how it goes for you. I can't wait to hear from you saying you are on day 365!!!!!!
Today started out kind of shaky but I just did my routine of getting up, getting ready to face the day head on and then....I started to praise. Praise and pray. It is amazing how your day can get completely turned around if you will just praise God. Before I put on my worship music I caught myself starting to worry about things that are ALL out of my control. There wasn't one thing I was concerned about that I could control. The key is to catch yourself early on in the thought process. Many of the last 8 days including today, this has happened to me. But what I have done is just say to myself each day that every single one of those days have passed and here I am and everything is fine. Today, I did the same thing. I just said to myself that I am not going to let myself or my thoughts get out of control. I can just "be" in the moment today. And then you know what happens? I wake up tomorrow and it is day 9!!!!
I used to do this very thing religiously. But when major events happen in our lives, it is easy to get out of our routines. But that is when we need to do it the most!! The word does say that the enemy is out to kill, steal and to destroy. So the moment we let our guard down, he will attack. He is on the prowl and always will be.
Are YOU worried, concerned or stressed about some things in YOUR life? Then I challenge you everyday to do this. Just try it for one day and see how awesome it works. Right now, are you thinking worrisome thoughts? Give yourself today off. Just say that everything is going to be just fine and if you need to you can pick up that worry again tomorrow morning. Then when you wake up and see that all is well you can challenge yourself to do it for one more day.
I am certain you will have an amazing day if you just stick to it. I would love to hear how it goes for you. I can't wait to hear from you saying you are on day 365!!!!!!
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