Sundays can be so refreshing. It’s no wonder that God mandates in Deuteronomy 5:12-15 to “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord Your God.”
Our bodies need rest. We need to decompress. We also need dedicated time to worship God and reflect on Him.
When we make time for God, He is faithful to hear us. And we can hear Him better. I think the message he spoke to me today was to praise Him…no matter the circumstances. He is here, even when things are bleak, and I’m feeling low. We praise Him for simply Who He is. His love for us is not dependent on what we do but the simple fact that we are His children. We should respond in kind to Him, our heavenly Father.
We sang “You Never Let Go” at church this morning. I felt it so personally, as I’m sure others did. I will praise God for being faithful. He is my rock…my sure foundation. All else pales in comparison.
I should have just stayed in bed today. In fact, I tried my best to do just that.
Soccer Chick and I spent the weekend out of town, just the two of us, at a soccer tournament. This was her first one back with her old team (the one she was on before joining the Jacksonville team). I felt like the new kid in class as I joined the parents on the side-line. Everyone is thrilled that we are back. The soccer community is one huge family. That’s one reason why I love being a soccer mom.
We had left our home at, what Mr. AuburnChick is fond of calling, O’Dark Thirty. That means a time of the day when nobody should be out of bed, much less on the road. Here’s what it looked like as we left our house:
As we neared our destination, we had to cross a bridge. Daylight had broken significantly (Soccer Chick took this picture for me):
The competition was certainly not what we are used to, but Soccer Chick came off of the field happy. That was the best thing about the weekend. Oh sure, her team soundly defeated each team it played, but we left with much more…her joy for the game had returned.
In between games on Saturday, I went yarn shopping. I had planned on being a bit sneaky, but Soccer Chick would have none of that. My plan was to check into our hotel, leave her there while I ran to the shop, and then pick her up to go to the mall. Well, she didn’t like that one bit. Our conversation went like this:
“Soccer Chick, I’m going to leave you here for a short bit while I run to the yarn store.”
“Um, Mama, if you think I’m going to be left behind, you’re crazy.”
“Soccer Chick, when did you start liking yarn? Is this why you want to go?”
“Um, Mama, I know that if you go, you will forget the time and stay gone for hours. I’m going with you.”
And she did. Granted, she waited in the car, but after about 40 minutes, she made her presence known.
Inside the store, I heard the honk of the car being locked. I looked at the store owner and asked if an angry teenager parading around in a soccer uniform was making her way through the door. She nodded an amused “yes.” I quickly wrapped things up, paid for my yarn (which I’ll take pictures of another day), and left. Soccer Chick was not amused, but she withheld her contempt since we were, after all, on our way to her store. For once, she played it smart.
We went shopping and had a great time. We didn’t spend much, but it was a relaxing afternoon and a great time of bonding.
Soccer Chick’s last game was at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon. We were both exhausted as we left for home. Here’s what it looked like as we headed out:
By the time my alarm went off this morning, I was ready to pull the covers over my head and feign illness. Molly, my youngest pup, tried her best to get me up, using her nose to push off my covers and then doing a head dive into me. It didn’t work. I ignored her plea to go potty. I’m mean when I’m sleepy.
I did finally roll out of bed around 8:15, about the time that I’m supposed to be at work. Oops. I figured that if the kids were getting to sleep in on their holiday from school, why shouldn’t I get a break too? Boy, I can’t wait for retirement.
But I digress…as usual…
Aside from the slow start to the day, my morning at work went well.
Until my boss paged me over the phone system. She wanted to meet with me in the conference room.
My heart fell.
I knew what was coming. It was what I had been dreading.
She wasted no time in getting the bad news out. The firm is making budget cuts, and there just isn’t the financial means for part-time IT people (i.e. me), effective the end of the month.
As I said, I was not surprised. I’ve been part-time since I started there. We now have a full-time, fully certified IT guy, and he’s doing a great job. I’ve only been putting in between 12-18 hours a week lately with the subbing work I’ve been doing.
Still, it was difficult to hear.
It was official.
I count myself fortunate that they have given me two more weeks. They could have easily told me to pack up and leave today.
I’m sad because I never expected to fall in love with these people. I’m scared because I don’t know when I’m going to find a better paying job (i.e. a teacher position). I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to pay my bills.
But ultimately, I know that God is in control. Everything in our lives is for His glory. I am more certain of that than anything else in my life.
I am determined not to feel sorry for myself, knowing that others are going through what I am going through. I was browsing around YouTube and found this version of a song that I absolutely love. I used to sing it to Soccer Chick when I rocked her to sleep, and she sang along when she was a toddler.
The version below is a bit rocked out and probably not something you’ve heard before, but I really like its faster, uplifting beat. The most important thing is the message of the song…Jesus is my All in All. Much like the lambs He is holding in the various pictures, He holds my life in his hands as well. I know that is the safest place to be.
Finding a teaching job is proving to be a bit difficult. Especially since my district pared down its budget severely, cutting many teaching positions. Many schools slashed extra classes and programs.
I’ve been considering subbing as a way to get my foot in the door. I used to work for the school district, but it’s a large entity and easy to get lost amongst all of the other faces.
I talked to my supervisor today and asked if she would allow me to accept subbing jobs while maintaining my current job, and she agreed. Her kindness didn’t surprise me. I think it helps that when she interviewed me, I was very up front about what kind of schedule I wanted (flexible and off by 1:30 each day). I had also informed her about my plans to become a teacher. She’s the ultimate professional and understands how much it means to me to enter this new phase of my life.
After work, I went by the district office and picked up an application packet. It is loaded with information, including the salary schedule for subs.
This is where my jaw hit the ground. What a difference in pay! It’s safe to say that I am very nervous. The change in salary on the days I would subbing is significantly less than what I make at my current job.
It’s going to take a leap of faith.
How long will I need to do this before a teaching position opens up?
Sigh…
I can say, from experience, that God is with me and will make everything work out. I know that my bills will get paid, and I might even learn that there are some things I can do without in order to get them paid.
AuburnChick's Adventures 