This year has brought us trials, worries, and a number of lessons. This year has also brought us many blessing and comfort.
It began when Jonathon was offered a partnership with a company and I quit my job at Red Rock Podiatry to be the office manager. This would never come to pass but would afford me the opportunity to return to school. I registered at CSN and enrolled in classes with a focus on Business: Small Business Management.
We started the year off seemingly normal and then Jonathon was stricken with meningitis. Had it not been for the tender mercies of the Lord, he may have died. This proved to me that there is a plan for us all and Jonathon still has a mission to fulfill here on Earth.
The following month or so seemed to be struggle after struggle as we tried to manage and survive life in the aftermath of Jonathon being out of work for almost a month. I look back and thank God that he inspired me, this time last year, to start getting started on food storage. It was because of this preparedness that we were able to eat during this time. Granted we ate mostly Ramen noodles and chicken rice – but we ate!
It seemed that, once Jonathon was back at work, things would be all right. He was working and that is what mattered. He was working as much as he could and in June my mother was involved in an ATV accident that left her with eight broken ribs. My grandmother and I packed up and went to Idaho to help out. We stayed for several weeks until she and GW were married on July 20th. Things seemed to be looking up – until we realized that Jonathon’s partner was holding out on him and purposefully avoiding giving Jonathon work to keep more profits for himself.
A decision had to be made and with a family to support Jonathon opted to leave the partnership and find employment elsewhere. Surprisingly he was able to secure a Service Manager position in September, when things are slowing down. This would be short lived, as he was then offered his position back at Air Doctor, the company he left to be in the failed partnership, with a significant raise.
This too would be short lived as Jonathon would be let go from his position based on a lie. We believe that there was more politics involved, as the company was in the process of merging with another, but that is not provable nor does it really matter.
This happened just a couple of days after my birthday, but we were able to celebrate Ethen’s 7th birthday. It was awesome to see him so happy. Jonathon has since decided to forgo the HVAC industry right now and get into firearms and survival training. It’s a huge pay cut for us – but looking back and seeing the hand of the Lord moving in our lives, I’m sure it will all work out.
I’m sure the Lord has blessed us in ways that I am not even aware of. I saw this idea, on Sugardoodle’s Facebook page, about writing the good things on a piece of paper and putting them into a jar. Then on December 31 next year, you open the jar and read all the good things that happened! Here is the jar that I’ve decorated.
I love this idea, it will definitely help me remember more of the blessings that the Lord has graciously provided. I am hopeful that 2014 will be a much better year than this one has been. I realize that problems and issues don’t magically go away with the turn of a calendar page, but it’s the idea of a new beginning makes things seem a little more manageable.
Whether you make resolutions or not - just remember that with Christ, everyday can be a day for a new start. That is definitely something I need to remember this coming year!
May 2014 be the best year for everyone. May dreams come true, goals attained and lives more fulfilled! May joy be the only emotion you remember feeling.
Happy New Year!!!
