Happy Tears

If you got on Facebook Friday, you saw our WONDERFUL news!

My husband got hired on full-time for Bartow County EMS.

The only bad news, he will start making in a month what he WAS making TWO WEEKS!

It will definitely take some adjusting and really sticking to a budget. We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is God's will. We know---we believe, we have watched Him provide on less---that we are going to be just fine.

Contentment.

Ouch. That is a tough word. There is so much I want. So much I would love to go out and buy for our house, for others, for my kids, for my hubby, for me.

One of my new year goals is to find joy in the simplicity of life. To practice contentment. To be ok with what we have without always longing for more. To not look at my neighbor and think, "Awww, man. I wish I had that" or "I wish we had the money for this". Do you think God read my blog? Maybe my heart. I do believe He is going to make it a priority for me to find contentment in what we have. We have no choice ;-) It was fitting to sit down this morning and read these passages that were in my Bible study:

⁵ Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.⁶ So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV

The version that goes along with my Bible study says this:

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
⁶ So we say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

I definitely think it was fitting for this reminder today. God is good to know what I need, when I need it!

So, what is the GOOD news about Brent's full-time position.

First of all, he is home way more and we know what to expect week to week. He works 24 on and has 48 off. His short week, he will work 2 days, his long week, he will work 3 days. On average, he will work 10 days a month. He was working 5-6 days a week and 100+ hours a week. I was a single mom and we missed him so much more than you can imagine!

Not only that, but he just started online school last Monday and he starts the paramedic program in May (he will have to attend classes then). He had to have a schedule so he knew he could get his school work finished and then eventually, go to school 2-3 days a week and do clinicals for 1 day. 

Also, he has a part-time position lined up at Hamilton. He was unable to make that happen because of his long hours here in Bartow. He was not willing to sacrifice this job (his dream job) for Hamilton and he knew that he didn't need to ever turn down a call for work (that is how part-time works and how he got so many hours. It's as needed, so anyone who calls out, that shift needs to be filled.) in order to have a better shot at full-time.

Full-time also means benefits and a pension plan :-) HOORAY!!! 

The absolute BEST reason (IMO) for him being hired full-time, is is 100%, without a doubt, CLEARLY God's will. He was told it would be a least a year (BTW, when he went to the courthouse to sign his full-time papers, the lady couldn't believe she was seeing him again. She said it is generally 2 years before a part-timers gets full-time!!! It was 2 months for Brent) before he went full-time. There were/are 3 other part-timers who have been there longer than Brent (he got hired in November of 2012) who would be in line for any open full-time position first. They had no idea when a full-time position would even be opened though. So, 3 full-time positions would have to open BEFORE he would be considered for full-time. We knew he had to have a full-time position though. So, we began praying that God's will would prevail. That He would open a door no man could shut. We asked family, friends, our church, and my Bible study group to pray with us. We fervently prayed and asked God that He would make His will for Brent evident. If this wasn't where He wanted Brent, then no full-time position (because he would be forced to find a full-time spot elsewhere). 

In early December, Brent got word that someone had been fired and they would be filling the position in January. We began begging God that this would work out. Brent worked tirelessly, proving himself and his work ethic, for the entire month of December. We still knew it was unlikely he would be hired because of the 3 others "ahead" of him.

Friday, Brent got called in and was asked to come an hour earlier than the shift started. We were super hopeful. I prayed fervently on the way to the gym and then throughout class. I checked my phone numerous times and then I saw the text that said, "I GOT IT!! IT'S MINE!!! I START ASAP!" I held off on the tears until we were home and then it hit me. God did this! This is why God brought us here. That is when I broke down, thanking and praising GOD, through whom all blessings flow. HE opened a door no man could shut. GOD PROVIDED THIS JOB FOR BRENT!

That is why we are ecstatic and truly believe this is God's will for Brent. It feels SO awesome to know your husband, the head of your home, is in line with God's will. How can I worry about money? Clearly, God will provide.

Still speaking of my hubby, he made me cry myself to sleep last night.

If you know my husband, you know he is not very wordy, emotional, or lovey dovey. I am all of those things and sometimes, I crave for him to be that way towards me. It is just not him. I don't take it offensively, I just realize, that is completely out of character for him. That does't mean that I still wouldn't love for him to be that way occasionally ;-)

He was at work last week and sent me a link to this song and said, "Listen to this. This is our song." 

I immediately sent back, "This better be serious and not stupid."

He told me to just listen to it. The song was titled, "Overwhelmed". I figured it was some corny song about how I overwhelm him with my goofy, nagging, wifey-ways. So, I prepared myself to laugh.

I listened to it and waited on the silly lines. Instead, it was the sweetest song in the world. I cried the whole way through then text and said, "I hope you meant that because I am crying." He said, "I really did. It describes perfectly how I feel. I love this song and I love you!"

So, I started crying even more. 

Yesterday, he bought it off iTunes and started playing it and came up and hugged me and said, "I love you." It was sweet and I started loving him (and the song) even more to know he really did mean it. 

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, he put it on again and I smiled and told him the entire story of when he text me and what went through my mind, etc. I told him, "I cried because all of the sudden, I knew how much you loved me." He then told me the sweetest things about how he couldn't believe it took a song to make me feel loved and how special I was to him and how much he loved me. 

I fell asleep crying and feeling SOOOOO loved. That is NOT my husband. He does not verbalize things like that. If he says it, he means it. He does not say mushy gushy things, EVER!!!! Like he has said before, "I told you I love you last week, why do I need to tell you this week?" And he is serious! LOL. He made me feel so unbelievably loved and cherished. 

I don't know what I shared all of that. I guess because it meant so much to me!

Well, I guess it is time for me to get my butt in gear. I woke up with a headache, so I bypassed the gym and decided to workout here since our gym is finally cleaned out and organized and here I am still in my jammies!

I also am going to work on this homeschool day planner I found on a new blog. Check it out. 

I am looking forward to filling it all out :-)

Ya'll have a wonderful week!