The story

Guess I should explain.

We pretty much had the job. There was just one little problem. Ok, not so little. Their stance on marriage/divorce/remarriage was different than ours, which is a pretty big deal. Not so much that you can divorce and remarry under any reason under the sun, but they thought that if you were divorced for any reason other than your spouse cheating and you were remarried, and then you became a Christian, then that relationship is suddenly ok and you are free to stay in that current marriage. Chris equates it to stealing a sports car before you are a Christian, then at a later time you become a Christian, is it still right to keep that car that you stole before you became a Christian, or is it ok for you to keep it since you are now free from that sin?

Unfortunately this is a big deal for us because we have been through a congregation that differed on opinions on this topic. Only it was a prominent member trying to teach that you can divorce and remarry for any reason. Still, we saw the damage it does and the struggles when the preacher is on different terms with other members regarding this. Every other thing they agreed on, just not this one.

The good news, if there is any to be had, is that the elder did say that he is willing to sit and do a Bible study and study this topic more. He explained that that was the decision they had come to just doing their own private study between the 3 elders and that he knows they aren't perfect. Chris is going to talk to one of his teachers to see if he would mind doing the study over the phone with them. I don't know if it will do any good, but we feel we at least need to try. Not for a job, but for the congregation.

So, for my own sanity I have shut the door. I can't keep that hope in there that they may, at some point in the next few months, change their minds on this topic. Tuesday was hard. I cried, a lot, all day long. I had mentally and emotionally seen us raising our family there. That is a hard thing to get over. Especially since they didn't say no. His response was that he thinks WE would have a problem coming there, since Chris talked about the previous congregation during his interview.

It's also hard because there haven't been many jobs being posted. And we are at just about the 2 month mark. Seeing how long it took us to get this far with that congregation, I have zero hope that we will be able to find something in the next 2 months. In 2 months we will have no income coming in. In 5 months we will be welcoming our 4th child. If we still haven't found a preaching job by the time this little one comes into the world, we will be a family of 6 in a small, 2 bedroom apartment. Chris said we would have to find a house to rent. I told him financially that would be impossible. Rent would be higher and we would be responsible for the water/trash/sewer bill as well as the internet bill (I do very part-time work from home). Cable would obviously be a no-go. All of this is included in our apartment rent. And we would be doing this on less income than we are bringing in now.

It just stinks because this was where we really wanted to go. And we had the job. And it's just really hard to just get over. I am thankful though that we found out about this before we moved there. That is a huge blessing. What I need to keep in mind and keep reminding myself is that God is in control and He WILL take care of us. My feelings keep going back and forth between peace at knowing He is taking care of us and panic when I start letting my own worries get the best of me. It's a struggle for me, to be honest.

It's just scary not having a single prospect.

Comments

Apparently my comments section hasn't worked for quite some time. Not sure why. It should be working now though.

When something seems too good to be true....

...it usually is.

=(

Nervous energy...

Does wonders for a house. We have been expecting a call, or hoping to get one soon I should say. I could have killed Chris though when I got home from my preachers wife classes last night to see his ringer turned off, in the basket, and that he had missed a call. Sure enough it was the call we have been waiting for. The guy said he would call back later as he was having to turn off his phone. So yeah, lots of nervous energy while we just waited around for the return call. My house is now really clean though! Although Chris had a really hard time concentrating on studying for his final today. Needless to say, that return call never came last night. Frustrating and disappointing...um, yeah.

Now today I find myself kind of twiddling my thumbs, which is why I am finally getting to blog! My house is clean. I am caught up from all of my work. The notes for Chris that I have to type up were done Wednesday. I do wish I could take a nap though. Little mister thing had ideas other than sleeping last night. Well, other than sleeping in his own bed. He slept great when I brought him to mine. Me, on the other hand, did not. I sleep terrible when there is a wee one in bed with us. I tried to put him back to bed every hour or so but nonetheless he would always wake up before his little body touched his bed. I looked this morning to see if he was teething, as this is how he acts when he teethes, but I didn't see anything that looked suspicious.

Well, talking about suspicious, I smell something a little suspicious. Guess I now having something to do! Nothing like changing diapers to start off the day's fun! =)

Debbie Downer

That's what I feel like today.

Chris was asked some more questions from one of the elders who interviewed him. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I had a feeling that he wasn't going to get that job. Which is fine, really, if their are scriptural problems. I would much rather find out now than after we get there.

Still, just doesn't feel like it will work out and there is really no reason for it.

Maybe it's the fact that I've been dealing with this crummy pregnancy insomnia. I mean, I've been awake since 3:45 am today.

Maybe its the weather because it got so cold again and because it's raining.

Hopefully it's all my imagination.

First interview

Well, Chris had his first phone interview on Monday! It was with the place we really want to go to so he was really nervous. The elder said the call wouldn't last long but he was on with them for an hour, and it would have been longer but their battery was going dead. It was so nice to finally get started instead of just wondering when they will start the hiring process. Now, we just wait. The hardest part is over. At least the hardest part of the wait for me. They said they would let us know soon if they want us to come up to try-out but I have learned that "soon" could be a month or more. Hopefully we will hear in a few weeks.

Chris is the only one they interviewed and so we are hoping it will speed things up a bit. There have been other applicants but we were told they just weren't what they were looking for. We want to think that they really want to hire Chris but just need to go through the process, but then we don't want to get our hopes up either. It would really be an amazing opportunity though. It's in a community and area that we love, the people are so nice and friendly (not just in the church but in the area), they are offering a home, utilities, health insurance, and still a nice salary, they are a sound congregation and have elders. I'm HOPING they will talk about it tonight on when/if they want Chris to come up but I think that is wishful thinking. I know their elders meetings are on Monday evenings so maybe we will hear by next Tuesday. Or maybe next month. lol

Like I said, just wait and see!

Time doesn't slow down

Sorry I've been MIA. I didn't realize it had been this long. There has just been so much going on in the last few weeks, and couple that with a complete lack of motivation to blog, and before you know it time gets away from me.

On March 6th my sweet little Elijah turned 1 year old. It is so incredibly hard to believe that a year has gone by. I wish we could have spent it with just me, Chris, the girls, and Elijah but my family all made plans to come here. It was not without it's stresses let me tell you and my mom never ceases to surprise me. But alas, the party went on, I fed a heard of people many meals, and on Sunday everyone finally went home. Elijah had a lot of fun though and the girls just loved playing with their cousins. One thing I don't understand though is when people ask you what to get them for birthdays, you tell them what you need and what you don't need (toys) and they go out and buy toys anyway. I understand sometimes pj's or summer clothes aren't the most exciting things to buy but it's what he really needed. Instead, every single person bought toys. If you want to buy something more fun or if you just want to buy toys, then don't ask me what to get! Sorry, it was just frustrating.

Elijah's 8th tooth popped through the day before his birthday which definitely put him way up ahead in the tooth category from his sisters at that age. He has been walking for over a month now and rarely crawls. And just watching him learn and grow is so amazing. He figures things out so quickly just by watching you once. He saw me unlock the safe yesterday to get something. Later that evening I let him have the keys to play with and he went right into our room, pulled out the safe, and tried putting the key in. It's funny how the smallest things amaze me with these kiddos. He already takes direction really well too. I can hand hims something and tell him to take it to daddy, who is in the other room, and he will actually do it. He doesn't say a lot yet. He says dada, hi dad, and book. That's right folks, he will NOT say mama! It drives me batty. I say mama to him, he says dada back to me. He is such a daddy's little boy. None of the girls were that attached to him at this age, though they are now. Up until they were a year and a half they would always go to me over him. Elijah will actually leave me to go to daddy. It is really sweet to see.

At his 1 year check up he was 20 lbs, 14 oz which put him in the 25th percentile and was 30 1/2 inches, putting him in the 75th. I was really shocked he wasn't heavier. He looks like such a chunk. And then add to it that he is tall, he should look even thinner. Guess him being tall explains why he has already outgrown some of his 12 month clothes. I think most of it right now is in his torso because it's his shirts and onesies that don't all fit.

Hard to believe but Samantha will be 3 on March 26th. Every time I'm out with both girls now I have at least 1 person ask me if they are twins. They are getting really close in size. Faith has had a growing stoppage and Samantha hit a growth spurt. Though Faith has been complaining about her legs hurting so I think she is going to sprout back up again.

And the newest little one? I will be 16 weeks on Wednesday. I have never hit that infamous 2T energy burst, but I guess what can you expect with 3 other little ones! The morning sickness luckily went away though just past 13 weeks, and just in time for Elijah's birthday. And the best part? Last night, in the wee hours of the morning, I finally felt the baby kick. It is such a glorious feeling and one of the best part of being pregnant. I can be sick, achy, tired, and just plain miserable, but to feel your baby moving and kicking inside of you is just such a surreal feeling. My next appointment will be at 17 weeks but I won't have an ultrasound until the appointment after that, when I will be 21 weeks. I don't think I want to find out the sex though. I'm going to try to see if there is a place I can go besides the maternal specialist for it because they don't allow children back in the ultrasound room. I really really want the girls especially to be apart of it. And, if they can't come, Chris will have to stay home with them.

So, that's the update on the kiddos!






(And yes, that would be a pink hat on Elijah. He loves this thing and I figured it would be great for blackmail when he gets older. Chris said that's it, we are finding him a cowboy hat!)