This is a first for me..........

hello all..........

so if you know me well, you know i like to talk. a few friends of mine have these "blogs" and i've enjoyed reading them, but never felt like i would have anything interesting to say myself. after thinking about it, i realized this would be a great way for my family and friends to keep up with what's going on in my family's life and hopefully will make a few new friends along the way.

I recently started a job that i am so thankful to God to have. I have been a nurse for 10 years and for the first time am contributing to my household financially enough to make a difference. Now let me explain that because it is important for you to know that when my hubby and i got married 12 years ago we thought that because i had a "career" i would be bringing home the bacon, so to speak. Boy were we wrong! After having kids and adopting a child we learned and decided that i needed to be the one who stayed close to home for the sake of the kids. We never wanted them to go to daycare if we could help it and fortunately we never had to, due to the help of my parents. The economy took its toll on us this year as i left a job in March that i was unhappy at and at the urging of my hubby because of the emotional toll it was taking on me. I've never left a job without having one in the wings, and as a nurse, i've never not been able to find a job, so truthfully i wasn't too worried. I began shortly thereafter working for a Home health agency that had an ad in the paper and got the flexibility i needed to work with my kids' schedules and was very low stress. I liked it, it put me back with patients that were so caring and appreciative of my help. It was a refreshing change from the demands of office nursing where people sometimes can be pushy and impatient. Unfortunately after a few weeks of a really decent work schedule, the visit numbers began to decline. Some weeks i had no visits scheduled and others i had only a few. I picked up a second job with another agency and basically the same thing happened. I was looking on the web every day for something in Austin, but the same worry about costs of gas were lingering in my head. I was afraid to go full time, and the few jobs that came up were really not what i was looking for. The stress from finances on my husband was taking its toll. I was an emotional wreck. I have a very good friend, Kristen who talks with me from time to time about faith, God, relationships, ok, well EVERYTHING! She, along with my friend Sandra kept telling me that God would answer my prayers when he was ready. I learned a lot about myself during that time. I learned that when i want something from God, i have to believe he will support me. I kept asking him to just show me what to do. I picked up work at Health fares, started subbing at the school, whatever i could do, but nothing permanent happened. I learned that i wasn't giving enough of myself to God and that i wasn't living my life or focusing on others as i should. I really for the first time in a long time Prayed. I had become really complacent with stress in my life. I felt as if my life was meant for things to always be wrong. I started to see that i could change how i viewed things and the outcome of things if i just believed he would help me. I also had come to terms with the fact that God might not lead me to do what i wanted to do. That part was hard because i like to control things! I'm an Aries, you know. Have you ever seen them butt heads?

Anyway, to make a long story short, (i told you i like to talk) i "let go and let God" as they say. I found myself talking to a nurse giving report one day on a patient we were taking care of and she began telling me that our "census" or number of patients was down. I thought she was preparing me for a light schedule the next week. I knew that we needed to boost our patients, so i said, i know doctors in this area, why don't i just go and talk with them to see if they will refer to us? She said, "you know the office has been looking for someone to be our Marketer for two months now". I was stunned. I didn't know this position existed in my company and didn't know if i could do it, but thought i would talk with the boss and see what she thought about it. She was immediately supportive telling me what i needed to know to interview with the Corporate person hiring. I GOT THE JOB!!!

I've been doing this for a few weeks now and i really do like it. For someone who likes to talk, this is the perfect job. I meet new people every day and have found more old friends and acquaintances in the last week than i ever expected to see. Some are nursing classmates that i haven't seen in 10 years! Travis is so proud of me. He is excited for us as our financial troubles seem to be at bay now since we have a full time income coming in. The change i've seen in him has been so awesome. I feel like i was able to be a part of something that made him less stressed. I know that God placed this job in my life. I know this because he loves me and wants me to know him in my life. With the help of my friends and family, i am committed to changing my relationship with him. It's hard to remember him daily, so i'm trying to make that a focus. My mom when i told her of the job, told me that she had been praying to St. Jude (the saint of all things impossible) to help me. For us Catholics, St. Jude is our go-to guy! We believe that certain Saints are here to help you with certain things you need and my mom is a firm participant in this. I really felt her thanks when i told her i got the job and for that, i'm thankful too. She raised me to believe in God, and she had seven other kids who she taught the same. It's not easy being a parent and keeping your focus on teaching your kids what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes you just want to think of yourself, but you have to live life differently when you are responsible for someone else's upbringing.

Anyway, i continue to try and strengthen my faith. I'm working hard, driving all over Texas for work and i know that i'm probably still in the "honeymoon" phase of work, but it is what it is. I'm not looking at it any other way!