I Love My Calling

I love my calling, I really do.

When I was first given the assignment to be the primary chorister (the person who teaches the children music) I was a bit nervous about it. It took me a while to find my own rhythm and my own method of doing things.

I feel like I'm finally beginning to know the kids and how to most effectively teach them.

I graduated college with an elementary teaching degree. However, since my graduation, I've become a stay-at-home mom, and thus haven't been able to utilize a lot of the things I have learned. Some of it, I've done in my own home, and I've become a lot better at discipline, but a lot of the things are methods for teaching a large group of children.

I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity I've been given to use my talents and to stay practiced in my major.

The kids in my primary are amazing. They try so hard, and I feel like they are pretty self-motivated. Yesterday, I had them come up to the board to draw pictures to illustrate the song we were learning and they tried so hard to be reverent and to sing their best. After I felt we had the words down pretty well, we played a game of hot and cold.

Hot and cold is where I have one of the children hide an item (in this case, a vibrating lobster), and another child goes outside of the room while they do so. Then, once the first child has finished, they return to their seat and the second child comes back in. They then search for the item, and all the children sing louder or softer depending on how close the second child is getting to the item. The closer they get, the louder everyone else sings, and the farther away they get, the quieter everyone is.

They sang so well, and the Spirit was there. Even my little three-year-olds were trying their hardest.

We learned a song about faith. Faith is so important to learn early on in life. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that (Alma 32:21) "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

This life can be pretty turbulent at times. Sometimes when the storms of doubt and distraction rage around us, it is nice to be able to focus on the lessons that I learned as a child. The simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ can and does bring us peace in the midst of the chaos that surrounds us.

I was reading in the Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter manual, which is what they are studying in Sunday school this year, and I found the following quote from a general conference talk given back in 1969:

… Indifference to the Savior or failure to keep the commandments of God brings about insecurity, inner turmoil, and contention. These are the opposite of peace. Peace can come to an individual only by an unconditional surrender—surrender to him who is the Prince of peace, who has the power to confer peace.¹⁰

The troubles of the world often expressed in screaming headlines should remind us to seek for the peace that comes from living the simple principles of the gospel of Christ. The vociferous minorities will not unsettle our peace of soul if we love our fellowmen and have faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Savior and the quiet assurance he gives of life everlasting. Where do we find such faith in a troubled world? The Lord said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Luke 11:9–10.)¹¹

...One may live in beautiful and peaceful surroundings but, because of inner dissension and discord, be in a state of constant turmoil. On the other hand, one may be in the midst of utter destruction and the bloodshed of war and yet have the serenity of unspeakable peace. If we look to man and the ways of the world, we will find turmoil and confusion. If we will but turn to God, we will find peace for the restless soul. This was made clear by the words of the Savior: “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33); and in his bequest to the Twelve and to all mankind, he said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth. …” (John 14:27.) 

That really hit me yesterday. Sometimes, I do feel buffeted by the events that are occurring in the world right now, but when I focus on the Savior and the little things like faith, hope, and charity, my soul is comforted and peaceful. I remember that the Savior has power over all things, and if I'm on his side, my family and I will be okay, and I'll be able to be with my family forever; regardless of what happens in this life.

As I do my best in my calling and have lived the principles that I've been taught, I have been blessed with more peace and a stronger testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I truly believe and know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His church on this earth.

That is my solemn witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Lessons from Loss

Last week, we had a death in the family. My cousin's four month old baby, who was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia when she was born, passed away on April 22. 

It's been an emotional week for them, and for me. I felt prompted to ask them if I could make them a gift, and my offer was accepted. So for the past week, I've been working on that. 

As I've browsed through pictures and videos of this beautiful and amazing soul, I have really come to know her and to love her. Even though I was never able to meet her in person, she has really affected me. She had such strength and joy, and her expressions spoke volumes. 

On Saturday, we had the funeral, and her mother and father spoke. Her father gave an incredible life sketch which filled in the gaps that the pictures hadn't told me. Her mother talked about lessons that she had learned from her daughter, and I wanted to share a couple of things that she taught me that day. 

One of the things I loved the most, was when my cousin talked about being happy. She said that for the first while, she was very sad. Not just that, but she felt like she was expected to be sad because things were very difficult. Her daughter had never left the hospital and her entire life had been uprooted as they lived hours away from their home, not knowing if her baby would survive each day. However, at one point my cousin decided that, if her daughter didn't have very long to live, she didn't want her to live her life "surrounded by sorry saps." She wanted her daughter to know happy people. So, she chose to be happy, despite her circumstances, and she said that this decision changed everything. 

The other thing I really liked that they kept bringing up was miracles. We had quite a few fasts for their baby in our home, and we had a few family fasts with everyone else. Every time, something miraculous happened that helped this baby stay until her time on earth was completed. Miracles are real, and they do happen today. I have seen so many in our lives, and I'm so grateful for the reminder that this incredible little girl gave to us. 

It has been a difficult, but wonderful week. I have felt the Spirit so many times, and I have felt a lot of love for family and friends. I'm grateful for my cousin and her family. They have helped me grow and come closer to my Savior.

A couple weeks ago, I was feeling a bit directionless. However, when we visited the temple the day after this sweet baby girl passed away, I received some important counsel for myself. The Lord basically told me that I can be stronger than I am; I can have more patience and faith. If I'm struggling with faith and hope, I need to pray to Him and He will sustain me. I need to quit giving up so easily and I need to do better, because I'm capable of so much more. 

Since then, I've been trying to have more faith and hope. I'm learning to trust in the Lord's timing and in His plan for me and my family. 

Loss is very difficult, but I am so grateful for the things I have learned from this experience. I do feel that I have become a better person because of it. 

Prayers and Faith

We've been learning a lot of lessons lately as we've been waiting for prayers to be answered.

It's been over three years since we started trying to have a second child, and at times it has been heart-breaking and terrible. It has also taught us so much, and I'm so grateful for the lessons that I have learned.

One of the most recent lessons came from a friend of mine. She had gone through a similar experience, but in her case, she had to wait seven years for her second child! That's seems like such a long time. I know Abraham's wife, Sarah, had to wait even longer, and I can't even imagine. However, never once do we hear of her complaining or doubting.

Anyway, my friend told me, that when her son turned three, he decided he wanted a little sister, and every day for four years this little boy prayed for a sister. Never once did he ask why God hadn't answered his prayers. He just continued to pray in faith, knowing that the Lord would answer when the time was right. She told me that she learned a lot about prayer from her son.

I'm really grateful to her for sharing that experience with me, and hope that she doesn't mind that I have shared it on here. It made a big difference in my understanding of how to pray.

I think sometimes, I get impatient with the Lord. I think, "I'm ready now, please send the blessings!" and then nothing happens.

I'm learning, albeit slowly, to trust. It's one thing to tell myself that I know that God can do anything, and another thing to believe that His timing is perfect and trust in that. I'm realizing that faith without patience and trust, isn't really faith at all. It is me, showing Heavenly Father that I think I know better than Him. If I truly believe that He wants what's best for me, I also need to believe that He knows when is best for me.

Unlike my friend's son, I have doubted and struggled. Every month, it has seemed that I've gotten my hopes up, only to have disappointment spear through me like a knife.

I've struggled with knowing how to hope, while avoiding the pain of disappointment and continuing to pray faithfully for a child.

I know it is a righteous desire, and I have received confirmation that we will have another child from my Heavenly Father. I only need to have patience and trust that the child will come when he/she is supposed to.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Bible dictionary, under the topic of prayer, it says:

As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.

I love how it says that prayer is the "act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other." Some of the best prayers I've ever said are when I've asked Heavenly Father to help me know what to pray for. Then, when he has, my prayers sound different, and I know the things that are said will come to pass.

Sometimes it's hard to keep praying for things when it seems like the answers will never come, but by doing so, we show our faith and trust in Heavenly Father. It is difficult, but the more that I've been doing it, the more peace I've had inside that the promised blessings will come as I patiently hope and trust in Him and His timing.

I know that Heavenly Father wants what's best for me. As I strive to bend myself to His will, I become more like Him. The greatest blessings in my life have come as I've heeded His counsel and done my best to follow the promptings that I've received. I am so grateful for all He has given me, and I'm trying to remember to thank Him for the blessings I already have. If I'm not grateful for what I've been given, why would He give me more?

A Surprising Twist

This could be considered part 5 of a series about our current struggle with Grig's job. If you want part four with links to the other three parts, follow this link to "Enduring Faith."

A few days ago, as I was struggling with my faith, I was reading the scriptures. I was reading a story in Alma, where a group of righteous people had been enslaved by the Lamanites. They hadn't done anything wrong, and they cried out to the Lord for Him to save them.

At first, the Lord just told them, in Mosiah 24:13 

And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

However, for a while they had to continue to suffer in bondage. The Lord made their burdens light, so they couldn't feel them, and then after a while, it says, in Mosiah 24:16:

And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

As I read that, I was floored by the word patience (which is why I bolded it). I hadn't noticed that word before. It wasn't just their faith that was great. They also had great patience to wait on the Lord's time.

I felt like that was my answer. The Lord was telling me that if I would wait in faith and patience, we would receive all the blessings we had been promised.

Yesterday, at church, we received some surprising news. We had been in contact with the seller of the Norwegian Elkhound that we had been looking at purchasing. We had felt good about telling him that we were going to come and get the puppy on Monday. We had also explained why we had been waiting so long, so he knew that if Grig didn't get the job that day, that we'd have to wait a little longer, but that we were definitely interested in getting the puppy.

However, yesterday morning, as we walked into church, Grig received a text that told us that the seller had sold the puppy the day before, and someone had just come to pick her up. She was gone.

For the first little while after that, we were baffled. When Grig showed me the text, the impression I got was, "This isn't the end; it's not over," and I felt a lot of peace. He also felt strangely peaceful about it. That didn't stop the barrage of questions and confusion that followed during Sacrament Meeting though.

From LDS.org, link to source

However, as I listened to the speakers, who spoke about Christ's love for us, I focused on what I did know, and made a list. It went something like this:

Faith

• The Lord doesn't lie
• He told Grig in the temple that we were going to get the job and the puppy
• I was told to trust in Grg. 
• I was told the Lord would deliver us if we had faith and patience.
• I felt good about Monday.
• Perhaps, we were told to wait so that we would get the right puppy from someone else, and if we weren't still open to it, we  would have missed the opportunity.

Grig looked at my list, and added:

• This may be another test for us and the owner of the puppies. Do we really want to be faithful, hopeful, and charitable?  

After church ended, I was feeling better, but I still didn't fully understand. I did feel however, that if we continued to have patience and faith that things would work out.

I told Grig's brother Allopex about what had happened. He told me he'd had a similar experience before, and he related it to me. He had received an answer that involved someone else, but because of the other person's choices, it hadn't happened. Afterward, he was confused, but the answer he'd received was something like: "Revelation doesn't change, but people can make their own choices."

I was grateful to him for sharing that. It eased my confusion. It is true that the Lord never forces people to do something. He always lets them make their own choices.

It's quite possible that we were meant to have this puppy, but because the seller reneged on our deal and sold it to someone else, that we aren't going to get this particular puppy. However, that doesn't invalidate the Lord's promise to us. The Lord doesn't lie, and I know that we will be guided to know what to do next.

We're just going to wait and see what happens in the next few days.

It should be exciting.

Enduring Faith

(This post is kind of a continuation of The Right Time and Relating to Sariah. If you want to read the first two parts of this story from our life journey, feel free to do so.)

Sometimes it's really hard to wait for things.

Grig has reached the end of his probationary period at his new job. He was told that in 90 days (or possibly sooner if they were really impressed), he would be given a review, and if they decide to keep him on, he will get a raise. If they don't, we need to look for a new job.

He's been stressed about it for the last few weeks. However, after a lot of praying, we feel like he's going to keep this job, and we just have to be patient.

It's been really hard...especially now that we've passed the 90 day mark. His direct supervisor has told him that he'll put in a good word for him, and that he's pretty sure he'll get the appointment. However, we haven't heard anything from his direct boss yet.

We've tried to wait patiently and keep having faith, but some days, it's been a real struggle for both of us (usually on alternating days) to keep having faith.

Tied to this appointment are quite a few things. Back when we were praying about getting a puppy, we were told that if the puppy was still there when Grig got the raise, that we could get it. We were told that about six weeks ago.

Then, about four weeks ago, Grig felt really strongly that he was going to get the job and that we were going to get the puppy. (Thus, what I was talking about in a previous blog.)

I haven't doubted too much that he'll get the job. He's a really hard, thorough worker. He's pretty amazing and is learning a lot of new things. However, sometimes I've had a hard time believing that the puppy was still going to be there.

Then, about a week and a half ago, when my faith was really wearing thin, I looked the puppy up online where we had first found it. Six hours before I looked, the sellers posted an updated picture of the little girl that we want with a reduced price. I was surprised to find that I was floored.

Here's a picture of the little girl that we're going to get

I had been unconsciously preparing myself for the worst, and on some level I was sure that she wasn't going to be available anymore. As I felt a rush of excitement flow through me, I began to pray and thank Heavenly Father for this bolster to my faith. As I was later contemplating this miracle, in my mind I heard the thought, "Oh ye of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

There are other things that we've had to have enduring faith with, and it was a good reminder not to doubt. One of those things is the fact that I've been told several times through personal revelation that our next baby is coming soon. It's been really hard to wait. The Lord's timing is perfect, and I'm really learning that. I just have to keep having faith even when it's difficult.

Relating to Sariah

In the Book of Mormon, it talks about a woman named Sariah. Sariah was a righteous woman, and married to a prophet. However, at one point, the Lord commands Lehi, her husband, to send their sons Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi back to Jerusalem to get the plates of brass, which contain the scriptures and a historical record of their family.

Time passes and Sariah begins to doubt. She calls her husband a "visionary man" and was sure that her sons had died.

In 2 Nephi 5 it states,

2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

 3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.

 4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.

 5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.

 6 And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi,comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.

I have always had a hard time relating to Sariah. I had always thought, why did she doubt, didn't she know her husband was a prophet? What was she so worried about?

Her sons returned from their mission successful, and Sariah said the following:

 8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

After her sons returned, that's when Sariah gained her testimony that her husband was a prophet, and from then on, we don't hear of her doubting again.

Saturday, while Grig and I were at the temple, he received revelation concerning our family. My husband is not a prophet, but the Lord does give him (and me) revelation about our lives and how we should guide our family.

I had a hard time, because I hadn't felt the same thing. However, as I prayed to receive my own confirmation of what my husband felt, I overheard some men next to me talking about Nephi's journey back to Jerusalem and how when the Lord gives us a commandment, He will provide a way for us to accomplish the things that he tells us to do (1 Nephi 3:7).

Grig and I have a very equal relationship. Usually when we pray for guidance, we both receive confirmation of what the Lord wants us to do. However, sometimes, only one of us will feel something. Grig has trusted in my impressions in the past, and I am learning to trust in his, even when I don't feel the same. He's a very good man, and trying hard to do what is right.

Sometimes it's easy to doubt someone we love, just as Sariah did. However, I felt the Spirit testify to me that I need to trust in my husband and honor his role as husband and father. That was a good enough answer for me. That doesn't mean that I still don't have to push down doubts occasionally, but it means that I know that I am doing what the Lord wants me to, and He will provide a way for me to have faith in my husband's words.

If I can have sufficient faith and believe, in due time I will see that my husband was correct, and then, like Sariah, I can say, "Now I know of a surety." Until then, I am learning to trust in the Lord, and in my husband.

Link to this picture's source

MM: The Power of Toddler Prayers

Due to NaNoWriMo, my blogs may be a little shorter, but I'm still trying to continue writing.

Our car has been having a few issues lately. Mostly, it hates relief society meetings. The last two times I've gone to a relief society activity, the car wouldn't start after it finished. Grig hasn't had any problems with it at all. It just hates me.

I prayed really hard the first time it happened, and after a little while, it started up.

The second time, I came out of the church after helping clean up to discover my car wouldn't start again. I had Kevin in the back seat, and I prayed really hard, and it wouldn't start. So, Kevin and I went in to get some more things and ask if anybody could give us a jump. Some women said they'd be there in a minute. So, Kevin and I went back out to the car and tried again. The car once again wouldn't start.

So, I turned to the back seat and said to Kevin, "Would you pray that the car will start?" He nodded and folded his arms. Then he said a very simple prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help the car start.

Once he finished, I turned the key in the ignition again. The car started right up. Just as it did so, another woman drove up and asked if I still needed a jump. I told her I didn't, but thank you. We then drove home.

I know that the Lord answered my son's prayer. I think that He hears the prayers of little children and as long as the prayer isn't contrary to the Spirit, He answers their prayers.

Today, I asked Kevin if he wanted a brother or a sister. He became very excited and said, "Yes." Then, about ten minutes later, I asked him what he wanted for breakfast. He told me, "Brothers and sisters."

That was pretty funny. However, I explained to him that we couldn't choose when to have babies, but that Heavenly Father would send them. Then I asked him if he wanted to pray to ask Heavenly Father to send brothers and sisters. He said that he wanted to, so we kneeled down and he said a prayer.

I love how much he likes to pray and how much faith he has. I wish my faith was as strong. Toddlers are pretty amazing people, and miracles happen when they exercise their faith.

I love this kid

MM: Trial of Faith

I had a hard weekend this last week. After another unsuccessful attempt to get pregnant, I was feeling pretty discouraged. My faith in my own ability to hear and understand the word of the Lord was wavering, and my soul was in pain.

After reading a few scriptures, I decided I needed to fast and pray to find some comfort and answers.

So, I began fasting Saturday night through Sunday afternoon. It was just what I needed.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had its general women's meeting Saturday night and many of the talks seemed to be directed at me. One in particular that I enjoyed was President Uchtdorf's talk called where he told a story about a women who managed to be happy even when life didn't turn out the way she expected.

However, it was during Sacrament Meeting the next day that I really felt the love of the Lord. Our bishopric spoke in church on Sunday, and everything that they said pretty much made me tear-up. Everything seemed to speak to my heart and answer some of the questions that I had been having.

During primary, the primary president shared an experience that also really touched my heart and brought me comfort.

One of the main lessons that I learned was about faith. Without faith, we can't have hope. I felt that I really needed to work on building up my faith. I was reading in the Bible Dictionary just now, and I read:

Faith

Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11:1; Alma 32:21), and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation. To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone....Miracles do not produce faith, but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith...

...All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action; it carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for. A lack of faith leads one to despair, which comes because of iniquity.

I did learn some things that I needed to work on in my own life, that might have been contributing to that despair. I had lost my confidence in myself, and thus my faith was lacking. It wasn't that I didn't believe in my Savior or my Heavenly Father, I just was doubting previous revelation that I thought that I had received.

However, after a wonderful weekend of talks and spiritual upliftment, I have felt a rekindling of my faith and confidence in myself. Faith is difficult to have sometimes, especially if you're not sure that the thing you're praying for is God's will. However, I have been reminded that in order to know if it's God's will or not, we have to experiment upon His word. As we do so, he will let us know if we are on the right path.

Link to picture source

We just have to plant the seed to know if it will grow. 

I am so grateful to the faithful men and women who prepared their talks over this last weekend. I feel that they were inspired to answer my prayers, and I'm sure they answered many others' prayers as well.

Mormon Monday: Asparagus and Faith

A month or so ago, we planted our garden.

When I was a kid in primary (church classes for children), we sang a song about faith. We talked about how "faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow. (Faith)" At the time, I though, "Duh, you plant seeds and they grow. Where is the faith in that?"

Faith is so simple when you're a child.

We decided to plant asparagus. I think I mentioned this in a different blog post. (Yes, I did. Here is the link: http://atomicottercinema.blogspot.com/2015/04/gardening.html) I have been praying really hard that those asparagus would come up, and for a while, it looked like we were going to have to try again next year.

Arkhon got into the asparagus, and we kept finding the roots above the soil, half-eaten. We fenced off the asparagus, but we were afraid it was too late. A few weeks passed and there was no sign of life from our asparagus patch.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, Grig came in the house and said, "We have some asparagus!" Surprised, I followed him out, and he showed me where a nearly full-grown plant seemed to have appeared overnight.

Only a few days later, we found another plant that had survived. I was super grateful. I didn't think we were going to have any asparagus, and now we had two. Then, a couple of days later, we found a third plant that had lived.

All three asparagus plants are doing well.

This actually is not our asparagus plant, but it looks pretty similar to it. I found the picture here.  It's too dark to take a picture of ours. I'll post it later.

This is a great analogy for faith. We had faith that the 20 asparagus plants that we planted would grow. We toiled and worked hard to help them, but adversity (Arkhon) appeared and tried to destroy our faith. It caused doubts and made us wonder if any good would come of our efforts.  Even so, we replanted and watered and prayed.

Weeks after we had nearly given up hope, the plants appeared, far larger that we had expected.

Just recently, we had some adversity appear in our lives.

Our car has been having problems again. The alternator broke and we had to get that replaced, delving deeply into our pockets. Then, just last Thursday, we thought we were in really trouble. As I was parked at a store, I returned to find liquid underneath the car. It didn't seem like very much, but it concerned me. As I started the car, the low coolant light came on.

That wasn't a good thing. We quickly bought some antifreeze and poured it into the car. Everything seemed fine, and nothing seemed to be leaking, so we drove away and headed home.

Half-way home, the light came back on.

When I checked the radiator at home, it seemed to be far emptier. I poured some water in, and in moments I heard the sound of water falling to the pavement beneath the car.

It appeared that our radiator had a serious leak. Adversity had appeared and it seemed to be eating all of our finances.

It was really scary that night, we didn't know what we were going to do. We couldn't really afford more car repairs, and we couldn't afford to buy a new car. We prayed pretty hard.

The next day, Grig took the car in, and to our astonishment, everything checked out fine. They didn't even charge us for bringing the car in. They told us that our sensor was probably not working right, but there was plenty of liquid in the radiator and there didn't appear to be any leaks.

He also informed us that sometimes clogs will occur in the radiator during winter, and when they break free, sometimes liquid can spill out. He told us that was probably what we heard. Either way, everything seems to be working fine now.

It is a miracle, and we are very grateful. Just when all hope seemed lost, the Lord blessed us with blossoms and living miracles.

I am very grateful for faith and trials. Without the trials, how would we come to depend on our Savior?

The rest of our garden is doing well too, and we can't complain. We are a little low on money, but we have sufficient for our needs. The Lord is taking care of us, just like he took care of our tiny asparagus patch.

Mormon Monday: Where Your Treasure Is

Yesterday, in Sunday School, we were reading Luke 12: 34 and for some reason it really hit me. This particular scripture says:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Lately, we've gotten a bunch of car ads that have contests in them. You know, the ones where if you scratch off the number and it matches the number inside of the ad, you win something? Well, both times, we've won something.

We haven't taken turned them in. The first one, we didn't have time, and the second one, it was too far away.

Later, I talked to a friend, and she told me that she won a spin on the wheel and got five dollars. That was probably the same thing we won, and so I decided that I shouldn't worry about it anyway.

That didn't stop my mind from wondering what I'd do if we won $25,000.

Part of me likes to plan, so I thought, "How would I spend that money?"

We'd probably replace our roof (though we actually got it repaired on Friday, so that's not as much of a crisis anymore). We'd build a fence around our yard, and pay off Jacob's school debt. We'd put the rest into savings, except for enough to go on a trip to Virginia to visit family.

However, if you think about money for too long, especially free money that requires no work, you start thinking of other ways that you can earn money.

I applied for a job to be an adjunct teacher at BYU-Idaho. I wasn't accepted, but that extra money would have been really nice. Grig and I are not dying at the moment, but we're also don't have as much in savings as we'd like to. I have been a bit stressed about money lately, and so it's pretty easy to have it in my thoughts a lot.

The rest of the Luke chapter talks about how if we seek the kingdom of God first, everything else will be provided. It also stresses the fact that temporal treasures don't last forever, but the blessings and treasures that the Lord will provide us if we're faithful, will last for all eternity.

It helped put things into perspective for me. We've already been trying to live faithfully, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded that money is really nothing.

It is necessary to live on, right now, but eventually it will become obsolete. When that day comes, where are will my treasures be?

I've been combining our family videos from the day we got married onto dvds.

It has been a joy to watch Kevin change from a small baby into the adorable toddler that he is. It is hard to believe that so much has happened in the last three years. I have so many blessings, and occasionally when stresses for the future come, and forget about all the blessings.

I am going to make more of an effort to worry less about money, and more about helping others and serving my Heavenly Father. I know that as I do my best, and follow the promptings that I am given, that the Lord will guide me and will sustain our family.

Grig works really hard for us everyday, and I need to be more supportive and grateful to him as well. Sometimes when he gets home from work, it is hard not to say, "Take Kevin, I need a break." I need to remember that he needs to feel welcome, loved, and appreciated when he gets home.

It's nice to learn things I need to work on. It keeps things in perspective.

 

Mormon Monday: Patience, Faith, and Our New House

We are officially moved into our new home. All of our boxes are not unpacked and I still can't find Kevin's bedsheets, but most of the essentials have been found.

Kevin loves the new house!

On Friday the 6th of February, we closed the sale, but it turned out that we couldn't record until Monday, because the seller's papers hadn't been over-nighted on time. So, we were able to sign. However, we couldn't do anything until we found out what the sellers would allow us to do. Often they won't allow you to move in just in case something goes wrong. We had been planning to start cleaning the new house that night, but we didn't hear back about what we could do until later Friday evening.  So, Friday evening we tried to finish packing everything. It was kind of stressful not knowing, but things seemed to be working out, so I had faith. It wouldn't have mattered that much except that my parents were planning on picking up a few things from Idaho and helping us move over the weekend. Not being able to even put anything in the garage until Monday would have really messed up our plans.

However, we finally received permission to clean the house and move a few things into the garage, but we couldn't move anything into the house until the home was 'officially' ours on Monday. We informed my parents.

Saturday morning we had a miracle. We had decided that we were going to have to get an extra day with the uhaul, which the website had informed me would be an extra $40. We decided we would have to be okay with that, since we couldn't empty the truck until Monday. However, when my parents went to pick up the truck, they gave them the extra day for free! That was a huge blessing.

So, Saturday we went to the new house and cleaned until my parents came later in the afternoon with the moving van. We unloaded my parents' old piano, new washer, dryer, and dishwasher that we had purchased, and a few boxes of mine that they had brought from storage. Once the truck was empty, we took it over to our apartment and basically loaded everything up. There were a few things left when we were done, but the van was pretty much full. We had a lot of family help us out. My two younger brothers came, along with my younger sister and her boyfriend. Grig's brother came to assist as well. My grandma and grandpa also helped us out a lot, and cooked some meals for us. Everyone took turns taking care of Kevin.

Our garage full of boxes!

After we fished loading up and bought a lock for the uhaul door, we went to my grandparents' home and had dinner with them. They surprised me with a little birthday party. It wasn't my birthday yet, but my parents weren't going to be there for the actual day, so they had a cake and a present waiting for me. It was a nice surprise.

Honestly, I'd kind of forgotten about my birthday with everything else that was going on.

Happy birthday to me!

Once the party was over and my parents had left to travel back to Idaho, Grig and I were very tired. However, we mustered up some energy and went and shampooed the new carpets so they would be dry when we unloaded on Monday. Then we bug-bombed the uhaul and came back to my grandparents' home. They had kindly offered to let us stay with them over the weekend while all of our belongings were in the uhaul.

We had a nice relaxing Sabbath. Honestly, I think everyone should have a day off between moving. It makes the following day much less stressful. We went to church in our new ward and met a lot of awesome people. We even had a few volunteer to help us move the next day.

Monday, my grandma, my aunt, and I went and worked on cleaning out the old apartment. They were very kind to come and help me with it. They also loaned us their truck to put the last of our stuff in. I worked on the apartment all day, but by 2:30, we still hadn't gotten the go-ahead to move in. I was getting worried. We'd asked for help around 4:30, but if we didn't receive the official word that the home was ours, we wouldn't be able to unpack that day either.

Finallly, at 3:30, as we'd almost finished everything in the apartment, we received the word.

The house was ours! I finished up a couple more things and then drove over to meet Grig there as he got off work. We got the utilities put in our names, and at 4:30, everyone else showed up to help. We had quite a few people from our new ward, my grandparents, and my uncle's family. It went really quickly, and we were sure glad for the extra help when we had to move the piano, entertainment center, and washer and dryer downstairs. Soon, the trucks were unloaded, and we thanked everyone.

Our good friends came with our dogs (whom they had been tending) and dinner. We had a couple of problems with the new gas oven that came with the house, and trying to remove the dishwasher, but we finally quit for the night. We were going to try and finish up the other apartment, but by the time we finished eating with our neighbors, we had to get to bed. Grig had work the next morning at 4. So, we thanked our neighbors and traveled back to our new home. We set up the bed and slept in our new house for the first time!

Tuesday, I woke up at 4 with Grig and started unpacking. Then, at 8:30 a.m., Kevin and I returned the uhaul before it was due. My aunt picked us up from there in my grandparents' truck, and then we dropped her off at her house, and I went and finished cleaning out the apartment. My grandma came after a while and took Kevin, which made it a lot easier to finish cleaning. Basically, all I had left was the fridge and the kitchen floor. I finished quickly, and then I turned in our keys and said goodbye to our manager. She's been great!

Then, I went to my grandparents' home, and they loaded up the ladder and some lunch. We all drove back to our new house and they helped me clean out the rain gutters and install the dishwasher. It took a long time, and we didn't quite finish with the dishwasher by the time they had to leave. However, we got the old one taken out (which we had thought was a gas-dishwasher, but actually wasn't) and had almost finished installing the new one. We were just missing a part, which we got the next day.

The yard looks much better!

Wednesday, we finished the dishwasher and raked a bit. Kevin and Arkhon really enjoyed the backyard. Grig took me out for dinner that night to a place with really good Indian food.

Thursday, I cleaned out the old caulking on the tub rim and re-caulked the tub. We called and scheduled our internet to get set up, and that night we went shopping for a few things that we needed.

The dogs enjoy the leaf piles.

Friday, we had internet again! It was hard to be without it for a week. I hadn't realized how much of my budgeting depends on internet. In the afternoon, my grandparents came and helped us install the washer and dryer. It was sure nice to have appliances that worked! Grig also did a lot of pruning out side. We've had incredible weather this week! It's been in the high 60s. They joined us for lunch and that night we relaxed a little bit and enjoyed our new house. We also watched a movie. Grig has wanted to show me the 1962 version of Manchurian Candidate for a long time, so we finally watched it that night. It was very interesting and well-done.

Saturday we finished up a few more errands and unpacked a few more things. We had some friends come over for a little while too. Grig and I remembered vaguely that it was Valentine's Day, but we're having a dual Valentine's Day/Anniversary celebration soon.

Yesterday we had a pretty relaxing day. We went to our new ward again, and had a great time.

Sometimes it has been a week that has tried my faith and patience, but things had worked out well. I'm so grateful for our new house. We're making some good improvements, and it already looks a ton better! We love it here, and we've seen so many miracles as we've been directed to move here.

Also, we bought a new movie camera! Expect more videos soon!

Our stinkers

After the Trial...

On Saturday, we were driving to Sam's Club to go shopping. It was an unusually warm day outside, and so, for the first time all winter, we decided to roll our windows down.

A harmless thing to do, right?

Wrong! Or at least, that's what our car decided. As Grig tried to roll the window back up, it simply groaned and died. We tried to get it back on the track by pushing the button back and forth and we were rewarded by the sound of cracking glass.

Great.

I was pretty hopeful at first. I told Grig, "It will be okay. All we have to do is pray, and it is going to work again." He was kind of skeptical, but willing to try. He wasn't skeptical because he didn't believe God could fix the window, he was skeptical because the Lord may have a reason for breaking the window, and if so, no amount of praying was going to fix it.

We went shopping and when we came out, we said a prayer and tried the window again. If anything, the sounds got worse...and then it stopped working completely. It didn't dampen my faith however. I felt like it was going to be okay, even if we had to take it in. He agreed.

It's hard when you believe something is going to happen and it doesn't, though. I took the car in on Monday and was told it was probably going to be about a $300 fix to get it back on track.  As I left, that was when the frustration hit.

We'd just barely finished fixing up our car. We were starting to be able to save money again! Why did this have to happen now?

However, there was nothing to be done, so we agreed and left the car there over night. That night it snowed, and we were grateful that they had it inside of their shop where moisture couldn't blow through the window.

Sometimes bad things happen, and you begin to ask the Lord "Why?"  However, I am learning more and more that as we continue in faith the blessings begin to pour in.

The same day we turned the car in, Grig's co-worker approached him. Grig was busy sweeping because they were at a slow point, and his co-worker kind of just stood there and watched him for a minute. Then he said, "Hey, man. How would you like to weld?"

Grig loves welding. He is officially a fitter (of parts for the welders), but every time one of the welders will let him, he has been welding. At first Grig thought that his co-worker was asking if he wanted to weld right then, and then he realized that the man was talking full-time. His co-worker informed him that a full-time position had just opened and he should go apply. So, he did.

If he gets this position, we will receive a raise, and Grig will be able to do something he enjoys a lot more! So, we are currently praying that he gets the job. That would be a huge blessing.

Then, my parents just informed me that our phone plan is changing. With the change, our phone bill is suddenly going to become more inexpensive! That's pretty exciting.

On top of that, when I went to pick up the car yesterday, I informed my grandfather (who was driving me) that I had finally received my new state driver's license. He told me, "Okay, then I'm going to take you to Wal-mart and get you a fishing license. I'll pay for it."

I've been dying to go fishing. Lately, I've been editing my grandpa's life history for him, and he told me this was his way of paying me back for all of my work. Then, he asked if we wanted to go fishing at 4:00. I really wanted to, but I wanted to talk to Grig about it first.

We picked up the car and it turned out that the motor that rolls up the window was actually broken. The man at the repair shop told me that it fell into six pieces as he pulled it out. He also told me he had never seen one in that bad of shape. So, I don't know why our car had to experience this right now, but I'm grateful we had money to pay for it. It ended up being a bit less than $300 when all was said and done, and our window works again. That was another blessing.

We did go fishing last night, and we caught three beautiful (though smallish) rainbow trout. We had a lot of fun! Grig didn't fish (he doesn't have his driver's license yet, but he will soon), so he and Kevin explored the area while Grandpa and I fished. They found a couple of fossils and a dead bird. They had a good time.

These pictures are actually from a different fishing trip, but I forgot to bring my camera last night, so I decided to use these pictures instead. We only caught three fish last nigh and they were all about the size of the little one between Grig and I. Also, Kevin is much older now.

I am pretty grateful for how many blessings we have in our lives. I feel like our trials are insignificant in comparison, and I feel bad for my frustration the other day. I am learning to trust in the Lord, regardless of what life might throw at us. He hasn't steered me wrong, and He never will.

Why I'm Afraid of Hornets

I love animals.

All animals.

I'm not just saying that. In general, if it is alive, I like it. That includes bugs, snakes, and other creepy-crawly things. I am fascinated with all forms of animal life that God has put on the earth. Wolves are my favorite, but I get excited when I see any animal. On my mission, I made people laugh when I wrote in one of my letters, "The Lord answered my prayers today. We ran into a tarantula on the way home!"

Which is why it is so funny that hornets frighten me.

They don't just scare me, they literally make me dance. In fact, my family calls it "The Bee Dance." Which is funny, because bees don't really scare me.

In fact, I like bees. They are useful and if they sting you, they die. Yes, maybe their sting caused me some pain, but they usually don't sting without reason. When they do sting, they give their lives in the effort of protecting their hive.

Hornets (or yellow-jackets), on the other hand, don't. A hornet can sting as much as it wants without causing any harm to itself. They are aggressive and fearless.

I've always wanted to know the reason behind things. If my parents told me to do something, I would ask, "Why?" I wasn't trying to be rebellious, I really wanted to know. If I understood the reason, then it was much easier for me to follow the command (though I'm sure this drove my parents crazy sometimes). I love finding out how things work and why people do the things they do. This is why hornets seem so terrifying to me.

My first bad experience was in middle school. Up to that point, I didn't have an issue with hornets. However, one day, as I walked home with some siblings and friends, we stopped to talk for a moment. I decided to sit down on the grass and rest while our conversation was going on.

One second later, I jumped up. Pain had erupted from my backside and I looked down to see a hornet struggling to get up from where I had been sitting. I took off running for home as fast as I could with my friends calling after me, "What happened?"

"I sat on a hornet!" I yelled back. This experience, though painful, left me cautious but not frightened. There had been a reason behind the attack, and so I understood where the insect was coming from.

However, when I was in junior high I had an entirely different experience.

I was painting the side of a building. I knew there were hornet nests close, but I was pretty far away from any of them. I wasn't threatening their nest and I was going about my own business.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my left elbow. I looked down to see a yellow-jacket emptying its toxin into my elbow. I began to yell and dance. My paint tray flew and I'm sure it was a hilarious sight.

That really started my horror of hornets. I couldn't see any reason behind the attack, and when there isn't a reason, the creature becomes unpredictable. From that time on, I began to fear the insect. If one flew toward me I would run. If one settled down on a surface near me, I would move. If one was crawling up my sleeve, I would panic. If I was holding the base of a ladder for my father and one began to fly at my face, I would dance.

Even looking at this picture makes me shudder a bit. 

My father wasn't very happy about the last one, but he lived through it. However, it could be detrimental to my work. I had a hard time working hard when hornets were even in the vicinity. I couldn't focus on the task at hand, I was too busy worrying about when the next attack might come. I had to keep my eyes trained on them at all times in case they charged me.

I'm getting over my fear a bit. Now I can remain still for a while when a yellow and black winged-death is zooming around me. However, if they come too close, I will still run. Their sting may not be that significant (to me), but I can't help it. The fear is still there.

Sometimes when I watch the news, I see people do terrible things, and I can't understand why. In some cases, I don't want to know why. When those events occur, I feel fear. I fear for our world and our society and the fear is made greater because I just don't understand why someone would do something like that.

However, the opposite of fear is faith. The hornets in our world can sting for a brief time, but that is as far as their power goes. The pain they cause my be significant and unexpected, but the Lord can heal all wounds. If we have faith and trust, fear can disappear. We can know that regardless of what happens in this life, the Lord will bring us comfort and peace.

Hornets (both the bug and the people kind) can be terrifying. However, if I live my life in fear, waiting for the next sting to occur, I'll never get anything done. We can't live our lives and find joy in the moment when we're waiting for the next terrible thing to unexpectedly occur. Bad things will happen, hornets will sting, and people will make terrible choices, but if we have faith, the fear will disappear and we will live happy and joyful lives.

Maybe there is a reason for hornets after all.

Mormon Monday: Faith

Friday turned out to be a very rough day for me. We had to get a safety inspection and an emissions inspection done on our car.

I went in with faith, thinking that the Lord would take care of it, and hopefully we would pass. We dropped the car off, and while we waited for them to check it, Grig, Kevin, and I went on a walk. We stopped at Al's Sporting Goods and browsed around looking at knives, guns, and mounted animals. It was quite fun. I wasn't worried about the car at all.

However, as we finished, Grig received a call on his phone. It was from the car place. They told us that our car had failed on both its emissions and safety inspection!

I was surprised, but then I assumed that it was just going to be something small, so I was determined to not worry about it (this is an optimistic quality that I have, that sometimes makes me very disappointed.)

We walked back, and they informed us that our check engine light is on (which it hasn't been because it turns out our check engine light is broken too) and they are reading two different codes that we need to get checked out before it can pass the emissions test. They also informed us that our brakes needed to be replaced as well as our front tires.

All-in-all, we are looking at an estimated around $500-700 worth of repairs. That was very discouraging to me.

We have our tax refund coming, with which we will be able to make the needed repairs and finish this process of getting our car registered in this state, but I really wanted to use that money to pay off the majority of our school debt. When I found out that we were probably going to have to use around a thousand of it to fix things on our car that I didn't really feel like they needed to be fixed, I was pretty distraught.

I didn't know why Heavenly Father had allowed this to occur. Our brakes seem fine to me. They aren't squeaking or stalling. Our front tires, though they may be losing their tread have handled the ice quite decently. I was really looking forward to having less debt, and sometimes when I make a plan that I'm really excited about, it's hard for me to change that plan.

However, that is where faith truly comes in. We hope for the best, but when things don't work out the way we plan, we don't lose faith. Instead, we should try to see what God is trying to teach us, or what we can learn from this new experience.

As my wonderful husband Grig pointed out, at least we have the tax return coming so we CAN pay for these repairs. Most likely, we would have to make these repairs anyway, but if this wasn't occurring right now, we would have to pull the money out of somewhere else.

He's absolutely right. That is a blessing and I just didn't recognize it at first. I was pretty set on what I wanted and the blessings that I thought Heavenly Father was giving us, that I didn't recognize another wonderful blessing that we were receiving.

In the LDS Bible Dictionary, it states:

Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11:1; Alma 32:21), and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation. To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone. The Lord has revealed Himself and His perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in Him without reservation.

I do have faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that He is going to take care of us, and I feel ashamed that I doubted, was somewhat angry, and confused for a little while. Our family has been guided and taken care of time and time again, and I know the Lord will continue to do so.

I just really hate making car repairs. I fell like they are way over-priced and they make you fix things that aren't really broken.

Regardless, that is what the laws in our area have asked us to do, and we believe in obeying and honoring the laws. We'll do our best to see them through.

We did find out yesterday that there is a $200 emission repair cap. That was a blessing to find out, so the price of repairs may actually be less than we thought it was going to be.

As we have faith, we put our own worries and fears aside and trust that the Lord won't lead us astray. As we do our best, He will take care of us.

It isn't blind faith. I know that these things are true because I have seen the Lord's hand in my life before, and I have felt His presence and His love. I'm not acting because I'm hoping things will work out. I'm acting because I KNOW things will work out. It's just scary sometimes to walk with only part of the path illuminated.

That's what faith is. It's having absolute confidence that our Heavenly Father is perfect and knows where the path will lead, even if we don't. It's the faith of a blind man in his guide dog or a child in his parent. We trust that they will not lead us astray, and unlike the dog and the parents, God doesn't and can't make mistakes.

That's a very comforting thing when you're trying to turn your life over to someone else.

The Bible Dictionary goes on to state that:

Although faith is a gift, it must be cultured and sought after until it grows from a tiny seed to a great tree. The effects of true faith in Jesus Christ include (1) an actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to the Lord (see Heb. 11:4); (2) a reception of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life; and (3) an assurance of personal salvation in the world to come. These things involve individual and personal testimony, guidance, revelation, and spiritual knowledge. Where there is true faith there are miracles, visions, dreams, healings, and all the gifts of God that He gives to His saints. Jesus pointed out some obstacles to faith in John 5:44 and 12:39–42 (see also James 1:6–8).

Faith doesn't just appear. As we grow and work through trials (like Friday), we move forward. As we do so, we see the fruit of our faith and then we can continue to trust and have more faith. There are obstacles to faith, but as we see the Lord's hand in our lives, we learn to work past those obstacles and to trust in Him.

If things are hard right now, have faith. The Lord wants you to have peace and happiness in your life. He doesn't want to make us miserable, he wants us to be happy. Sometimes happiness is a journey, but true happiness takes work and effort. It is not an instant gratification type-of-thing. God knows not only what will bring us joy, but also the only path that will take us there.

Follow His path and have faith in Him. I'm trying to do the same, and as I try, I gradually am succeeding.

Even when I have hard days like Friday.

Disappointing News

A few months ago, we were in a tight spot.

Grig had just graduated from college and he was seeking employment, preferably in his field of study. The problem is, Grig wants to be an editor or a copywriter. Every available job application that we found in this field required one thing that a brand-new graduate doesn't have.

Experience.

Grig applied and he applied for job after job.  Even the entry-level positions found more qualified individuals. It was a very stressful and trying time in Grig's life. There is nothing like being a father and being unable to provide for your family. He began to feel bad about himself, and to wonder why nobody wanted him.

After about a month, he branched out and began applying for anything that would take him. After another couple of months, one day, to our joy, a place called him back and wanted him to come interview! We were ecstatic...except we didn't feel very good about this particular job.

We began to pray and we received a very strong answer that Grig wasn't supposed to take this job. He then called the company back and told them he wouldn't be coming in for the interview. That seems stupid right? Why turn down the opportunity for a job when you have nothing?

It is because we trust Heavenly Father.  If he tells us a job won't be good for our family, we listen to him. It turned out, actually, that this particular company had a reputation for being dishonest and swindling their customers.

However, even more important than that, is that we were not supposed to stay in the area that we were living in at the time.

It finally dawned on us, after about three months, that we were asking the wrong questions.  We weren't supposed to be asking "Where are we supposed to work?" Instead, we were supposed to be asking, "Where should Grig get his Master's degree?" Grig wanted to achieve his Master's degree, but we hadn't been focusing on that long-term goal.

On that Sunday we changed the question. On Sunday night, we decided which college we were supposed to go to, and on Monday Grig applied for a job in that city.

Tuesday, the company called asking Grig to come down for an interview and Wednesday he got the job!  Thursday we found an apartment to live in and we packed up that weekend, and moved on Monday of the next week.

Grig has been working at that job ever since while we've been getting residency in our new state.

It was a pretty amazing thing that happened.

Why am I sharing this story with you?  It's because we are facing a similar situation right now. Grig's job usually lays-off half of its work force beginning in February. It's entirely possible that he won't have a job in a month or two.  That is kind of scary for us.

Recently, we applied for a job for the LDS church for Grig to work as an entry-level copywriter.  The job seemed perfect, and we felt very strongly that he should apply for it.  However, yesterday, this job contacted Grig and told him that his application would not be advanced to the next stage.

That was difficult to hear. We had felt good about that job, and we had thought that Grig at least would have the opportunity to prove his abilities as a proofreader.  (They have a grammar test that the applicants are required to take after they make it through the initial sorting.)  Grig does have about two-years of experience as a free-lance editor, and he has an incredible grasp of the English language.

We are pretty disappointed. That would have been a great opportunity for Grig to gain some much needed job experience and possibly get a foot in the door. 

However, even though we are disappointed, we still have faith. If Grig had gotten this job, we would have been required to move again, and we did receive an answer that we are supposed to come here. We don't know what the future holds, but just like the Lord answered our prayers a few months ago, we know that he will guide us and answer our prayers again.

The nice thing is, when the Lord is in charge if one opportunity is missed it is generally because He has a much better opportunity in store for you.

We keep praying and having faith. We have felt peace about this before, and I need to have faith that the Lord will take care of us.

Things are going to work out.  However, if you hear of any entry-level editor/copywriter positions, let us know.