Putting my money where my mouth is

On Friday I got a call with some news that has drastically changed our lives. Brett's manager got promoted and then she promoted a new gal to be Brett's new boss. Brett's new boss decided that she wanted to work with her old assisant so she decided to promote her old assistant to Brett's job and make Brett take a demotion. Brett called me at 4pm just devastated and my head started spinning when he told me how big of a paycut that he will be taking.

Thankfully, my in-law's had already arranged to take our kids for the weekend and this was totally a God thing. Brett and I have needed to process, think....and relax a bit. When Brett called me on Friday I was just trying to get my kids packed up and into the car and I felt like I was going to fall apart for a minute or two but then I did what all of us mommy's do....pushed how I was feeling aside and took care of my kids.

We had a small group meeting that night with the "Young Marrieds" at our church. Our core group of friends is in this small group with us and we knew that even though we didn't *feel* like going, we needed the support and prayers of our friends. It was great to hear their encouragement and we hope to encourage them as they watch our story unfold for the next several years and Brett pursues school.

Since I love a good list, I'll continue this blog post in list format:

*We've known for quite awhile that God has called Brett to a different career, though we weren't sure exactly what. Brett hasn't gone to any college, a huge regret of his (and mine too really) and we've known for a long time that he simply has to get his degree in order to secure his future and our family's future. However, Brett's job was extremely stressful. Without going into too many bitter details, his job has been a source of stress and frustration for at least the last 6 months or so. Now that we've seen how the details all play out, we know now that in a way Brett was sabotaged and his new manager (who was supposed to be mentoring him for the past 6 months) had no intention of keeping Brett once she was promoted, therefore she continually found reasons to belittle Brett and question his ability to do his job. I feel like Brett has changed so much bascially since Everett was born and these transitions started to get in the works with his company. He's been so stressed, distracted, and many times unhappy and frustrated. I chalked it up to the job but it really was starting to drive a wedge in our little family. Anyways, like I said, we've known that Brett NEEDS to go to school but there was really no way that Brett could do school and his current position. It was too much stress and too many hours of work. He'd mentioned maybe becoming an assistant so that he had less responsibility so he could pursue school but that seemed foolish to walk away from a good salary. We feel like this demotion is God's way of making it possible for Brett to go to school.

*Brett's new work location is so ideal. It's about 10 minutes from our house and right down the street from Emersyn's preschool. His commute right now is about 40 min. We'll be saving on gas a lot and even on lunches. Brett can come home for lunch if he wants! The manager that Brett is going to be working for is also ideal. He's known her for quite awhile and I really believe that she will treat him with respect and reward him for his hard work.

*Brett already seems like a burden has been released off his shoulders, though I know his ego is bruised. He's overqualified to be an assistant manager and his company knows that. They are going to get the benefit of an experienced manager but pay him nearly half what he was making. It's hard not to be bitter.

*We believe that God is setting our family up for a miracle. Our whole goal in life is to pave a way for our children and if that means setting an example for them of trusting in God through tough times then by all means we will do it. At the suggestion of our young married's group leader, I'm going to start writing down all the ways that God provides for us during this season. It will be so neat someday to show our kids all the things that God has done in our lives and how He never leaves or abandons us.

*Please pray that Brett can get a somewhat flexible schedule. It will be a bummer not having weekends off again but I'm praying that he can get Sundays off.

*Please pray that we can find a way to make our budget work without me having to go back to work. I still have my real estate license and will continue to pursue that but I'm hoping to avoid getting a traditional 8-5 sort of job, even part time. My heart wants to be home with my children but I'm willing to do whatever our family needs. Also, I'm praying that there's a way that Emersyn can still go to preschool. She's been doing so well and thriving there. She's such a bright girl and I love watching her learn and grow.

*Please pray for widsom and guidance for Brett and I as we figure out the best career path for Brett. He's such a talented, hard working, genuine, caring and loyal man.

I've had so many friends going through stressful situations in the past year or so and I'm forever the eternal optimist, encouraging them to have faith and believe that God will provide for them. I guess it's time for me to put my money where my mouth is. :)