The Next Great Adventure

The last two weeks have been a veritable whirlwind.

I finally have a job!

It's not formal yet - she discussed it with me over the phone and now she's putting together the written offer to present to me on Monday. Then she'll conduct the background check and send me for a drug test next week. If all goes well (and there's no reason it wouldn't) then I will begin my new job on the 17th.

Isn't God's timing amazing? This morning I arrived home from the fourth and final interview - this time with their HR manager - to find a letter from the unemployment center in my mailbox. The purpose was to let me know that next week is my final week to receive the standard round of unemployment compensation.

So pleased that I'm not going to need it. Once again, the Lord has shown me that He's in perfect control over everything. I just need to do what I can do and leave it all in His hands - something I'm not all that great at, but each situation gives me more opportunity to learn.

Don't you find it neat that just as my unemployment is about to run out, I suddenly receive a flurry of interest and activity from months of putting my resume out there? Don't you find it so cool that I've had an entire summer to spend with my son - the first in his whole life - and will begin the new job the same week he begins his junior year of high school?

I do!

I can't tell you the number of huge and tiny but wonderful blessings God has allowed me to see and experience along this particular journey. Every day I've tried really hard to focus on the good things that have happened through all of this (some days not as good as others) and to thank Him for what He's been doing behind the scenes.

That makes me even more grateful to all of you who have been lifting us up behind the scenes too. Because of you - my family and friends - you've been an integral part in what God has been doing in our lives and I want to shout out a huge THANK YOU. Each one of you are so appreciated.

Thank you for being such an important part of our lives. Now on to the next great adventure!

Hope on the Horizon

Received my unemployment card over the weekend.

Gosh, I hated filing for unemployment. I've typically had a good savings built up. Still have some, but it will have to be utilized to supplement unemployment as needed until something more comes up on the job front.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

Actually I received a call back message for an interview from a company I applied with a couple of months ago. Guess I didn't make their initial cut, but I'm finally getting at least a foot in the door.

We've been playing a bit of phone tag and haven't been able to connect. I'm hoping tomorrow that I'll finally reach her live and in person and we can get an interview scheduled.

This is a company I'd really like to consider working for. Small, but growth oriented company that is really going places in the area. That's the kind of ship I like to sail on - forward thinking and small enough to still have good input in helping to achieve goals.

Which is one reason I jumped on this job opening initially when it popped up. Not a perfect fit, but I can always learn procedures. It's just the chance to get involved somewhere where I think I could have great input.

Hopefully I'll get that chance.

Applications and Road Construction (oh my!)

Spent some time the last couple of days freshening up my resume and preparing cover letter templates. Going to start needing to apply for jobs soon.

Matter of fact, I applied for a couple already yesterday.

Since I've never done this before, I wasn't sure where to begin with the online job sites. One of my co-workers had looked around on Career Builder and sent me some links to a few jobs she thought sounded up my alley.

So I went ahead and applied for them. One is here in my hometown while the other is at their headquarters office in the city.

Pretty much since my son was about a year or two old, I've been having long commutes to work. Starting in 1999 they began some major road construction on key thoroughfares, both of which I used to and from the office.

It has pretty much continued off and on since then. Ten freaking years of road construction! I keep telling myself that progress is painful in the interim but wonderful for the long term. Just didn't realize progress was going to take so long to complete.

I digress.

So starting to look into other employers now, I find several good jobs very close to home. I'm getting kinda excited about the possibility of actually having the chance to not have a long commute everyday.

Yeah right - now that they're almost done with road construction, I may not have to drive it anymore.

Oh well, can't complain if I get one of these positions.

Just think of all the money I'll save on gas!