Motivation

Philippians 4:13 states "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I am going to use this verse as motivation to stop making excuses for all of the things that I feel like I can't do or don't want to do, but know that I need to do.

Losing weight is a big part of this, but it is not the only part. I am going to be a better wife and I'm going to do better about getting housework done. I am also going to limit myself to one hour on the computer per day (excluding time for Pampered Chef work, when I have any). I am going to exercise every day. Not just because I want to lose weight, but because I know it's what I need to do to be healthy.

I know that I can do this because I have Christ on my side and as long as I remember the things He went through for me, I will always have the confidence to do the things that I need to.

Mystery Shopping!

A long time ago, I signed up for a mystery shopping thing, but they never had any jobs in Jacksonville (big surprise). Well, I got an email from them today, reminding me to check for any new jobs, so I decided to look, thinking maybe there would be more in B'ham. I'm glad I did! I have 3 mystery shops to do tomorrow! One of them is in Trussville, so I don't know if I'll do it since it's about a 30 minute drive from here, but the other two are only 15 minutes away! It's not much, but it will be a little to help us until payday! This is a great opportunity because I can go on my own time, so I'll be able to continue taking jobs even when I start working! I'll post tomorrow after I finish and we'll see how it all goes!

Remington is the best hair product company ever!!!

Okay, so I know this is like my 10th post today, but I'm in a mood to write (type?).

Awhile back, I bought a hair straightener from Wal-Mart. It straightens and dries your hair (called Wet2Style). Well, after I had only had it for a short period of time, I plugged it in and it caused the breaker to flip in the upstairs at our old apartment. Well, I called the 1-800 number on the back of the box and they sent me a new one. Also, to compensate me for my trouble, they also sent me a new hair dryer (way better than the one I currently had too). So I got a new straightener, and a new hair dryer. Well, we get to our new apartment here in Birmingham and my straightener starts acting funny and keeps reading "E1" and won't heat up. I look up the number for the company and call them. The lady tells me to send in my product with a note explaining the problem. I send it in ($8 shipping btw) and wait...thinking it will be at least 4-6 weeks and thinking they will probably just fix some little problem on the straightener and send it back to me...maybe send a replacement if they can't fix it. I sent it off last Tuesday, so I'm expecting to have to wait for a long, long time...basically thinking I'll get it back in August or September. Well, Tuesday there was a present waiting for me on my doorstep. Was it my straightener? Fixed already? NO! It was better! It was a new straightener...and not just a new version of my old straightener...a new and improved straightener! I looked online and the cost of my old straightener is $34.99 and the cost of this one is $49.99! That means I got a much better straightener for my trouble! The pic below is my new straightener, which I am actually considering exchanging at Wal-Mart because, although a higher quality straightener, it doesn't dry while it styles and I really liked that feature on my old straightener. Because my hair is so thick now (it's gotten SO MUCH thicker than when I was younger), it takes forever to dry. Even though I got about 10 inches cut off, it still seems like it won't get completely dry in the back. I also liked that the old straightener had a curved edge. I may upgrade when I exchange, but I think I'm going to exchange because this straightener doesn't have all the features that I want in a straightener.

Anyways, all of this to say, Remington has definitely impressed me!

Interview with DHR!!!

I FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY got a letter from DHR! I took the test for Financial Support Worker back in February (I think?) and hadn't really heard anything back...until today! I got a letter in the mail and I am going to get an interview for a job in Montgomery!!! The pay is really good!!! It's about 1 hour and 15 minutes drive from our apartment, but totally worth it to get my foot in the door with DHR! I am so excited! I thought this day would never come! I'm not going to get my hopes up too bad though. My rank is #4 out of 49, but I'm tied with 45 other people, so pretty much that means I'm tied for last place. Hopefully this will all work out how it's supposed to, but nonetheless, I am very excited!!!

A Place In This World

The following lyrics hit me right in the heart. I don't feel like I'm completely alone. I have God who is always by my side. And I have Alan, who I know loves me greatly. I guess I kind of feel like this song describes what's going on for Alan and I right now. We are both trying to find a job that uses our degree and makes us feel like we are doing something special.

I don't know what I want, so don't ask me
Cause I'm still trying to figure it out.
Don't know what's down this road,
I'm just walking, trying to see through the rain coming down.

Even though I'm not the only one who feels the way I do
I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.

Got the radio on, my old blue jeans,
And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve.
Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine.
Can you tell me what more do I need?

And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh, yeah, but that's okay.
I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.

Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission, but I'm ready to fly.

I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
Oh, I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I'm alone, on my own and I'm starting off.
Oh, I'm just a girl trying to find a place in this world.

Oh, I'm just a girl.

Answered Prayers

I finally found a job! It's not anything big, but it's something to help pay the bills. I'm going to be working at Jo-Ann's Fabrics and Crafts. It's a new store opening in September. I'm really excited!

I am so thankful to God for this opportunity. Although I want a job where I am using my degree, I feel like I will do well in this since a lot of my interest and creativity was sparked by many of my classes.

Just wanted to state also, that I know just because you don't get what you ask for, doesn't mean God didn't answer your prayer. I believe there are three answers to prayers: yes, no, and not right now. When I was praying to get the job for the city in Jacksonville, God's answer was 'not right now.' He knew that He would be providing us with greater things. I am so thankful for His divine wisdom. I can't imagine life without His guidance.

I am finally getting more caught up in my Bible reading. I'm reading through in a chronological reading. It's very interesting and it's also helping me to learn the placement of characters better. If you are interested, you can print the schedule here: http://thebible.net/read/chron.pdf
It's very interesting to see the divine nature of planning that goes through the Bible.

Pouring out my heart

I know that I have let my faith slip over the last few months. Sometimes going through hard times make you stronger in the Lord and sometimes they make you have a false sense of your own personal strength. I have trusted in myself too much and not relied on the Lord. I am praying that I will have the strength to keep on going, even though right now is a difficult time for us...not relationship wise, everything is great there. I even feel like we have grown closer through all of this. It has been hard staying strong in my faith because I have seen what poison can do within the church. It brings me to tears thinking about all of the things that were said about us and about everything that happened with Josh and Ashley. I can't believe that they are having to move away. I love so many of the people at the Jacksonville congregation and I hate that things had to end like they did. I wish our leaving and the Romos' leaving had been our/their choice. It makes me feel like we aren't wanted. I know that some people didn't want us there. It hurts me to think that I have a sister in Christ who is (IMO) happy that me and my two closest friends (besides Alan) have been torn apart (geographically). Josh and Ashley will be moving soon and I'll probably only get to see them one more time before they move.

I didn't realize how upset I still am about everything until I started writing this. I can't believe how inconsiderate some people were towards us. There are so many people there who I miss. Erika has been such a blessing in my life. I know that she thinks she has been a burden to Ashley and me, but I think I speak for both of us when I say that she has taught me to appreciate even the smallest things in our marriage. For instance, I used to get irritated about Alan leaving hangers in the closet instead of hanging them on the door. I learned to be thankful that he was at least there and that his clothes were still in the closet with mine. Sometimes I feel like Alan doesn't appreciate how much I do around the house and going grocery shopping. Then I realize that I don't appreciate how much he does by working so hard. I know how much he loves me when I think about the fact that he has put off going to law school for all of the time we've been together so that I could finish school. He worked in a job that he loathed so that I could finish school and so that we could pay our bills. Anyways, I was talking about how Erika has been a blessing in my life. In so many ways we are alike. Sometimes I feel like we are thinking with the same brain, yet we are so different! When we first met, I never would have believed that we would end up best friends. She has such a wonderful and caring attitude. She has been through so much and is still so strong. She is such a great example to so many young girls. I think that some of the older women look at her and think that she got herself into this situation, but they don't realize that they could be in it too. Just because you marry a Christian man doesn't give you insurance against him leaving you. I can't imagine going through what Erika has been through these last two years. And on top of all that she's gone through, she still encourages others and never forgets birthdays, or important dates, or even just to send a little note. She always seems to send me a note right at the time that I need one. I am so thankful to God for giving me Erika and for using her to teach me so many lessons. I wish that I could be as good of a friend to her as she has been to me.

Ashley has also made a footprint on my heart. I can't believe that I'm hardly ever going to get to see her anymore. I am thankful that God has blessed them with another job, but it's so hard to see them go. Ashley has also taught me many things. She has been so strong through all that they went through with being let go. I can't imagine the anxiety that they are probably still going through. Ashley has taught me to be proud of who I am and not to try and change just because that's what other people want.

I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like my heart has been intertwined with Erika's and Ashley's. With us moving away, and now Ashley and Josh moving away, it feels like someone is ripping my heart into pieces and running the pieces through a blender.

I am trying so hard not to get upset and I have refrained myself from thinking about certain people at Jacksonville (so much so that I censored some people from my facebook, so that I wouldn't have to see anything about them). I want to live my life right and be the Christian I know that I can be so that I can spend eternity together with Erika and Ashley. It's my prayer that we can all uplift each other through the difficulties that are ahead.

Saturdays

Well, this is Alan's first Saturday working and it's very wierd. It doesn't feel like today is a Saturday. I wish Alan was here to help me get some things done around the house, but I know that him being at work today is very important...probably more important than any other day of the week since Saturdays are when he will be most likely to sell a car or make a contact that will be a future buyer. I'm excited about getting some things put on eBay to sell. Hopefully everything I put up will actually sell. I have some textbooks that I'm going to put up, but I'm going to put the start selling date for later this month (closer to school starting back). Maybe those will bring in some serious cash. Lucky for me, all of my textbooks that I've bought online, I sold for more than I paid for them originally! That's a pretty good deal if you asked me!

I am so ready to get the boxes out of the dining room and unpacked! I can't wait until we REALLY get settled in. I won't feel like we are settled in until all of the boxes are unpacked and everything is put in it's place. I'm glad we finally have internet at home though. At least I don't have to go to the library every time I want to check my email or apply for a job...and I'm not bound by the time limits, so I can actually apply for more jobs. I put a link in the toolbar to remind me to check with cooperative extension everyday for new job postings. There's a job posted for Southern Living magazine that I am going to apply for even though I don't really meet all of the requirements. If I could at least make some contacts, that would be great!

Well, I need to get in the shower. I'm bringing Alan lunch today :) and I want to look nice when I see him!

Frustrations

Well, I had a job interview with Home Depot on Monday and thought it went pretty well. She told me that she would be in contact on Tuesday or Wednesday...would definitely make the decision by Thursday and I haven't heard anything. I tried calling today and she told me that she'd have to pull my file so to call back at 3 pm. I called back and she put me on hold...for 25 minutes and she never picked back up so I hung up and tried calling back. They said they were sorry, but she wasn't answering her phone right now. I'm not sure what to do, but I really hope I get a job soon. We really need the money.

We had to get the brakes fixed on the pathfinder and luckily Alan could get a discount at work. They said it would have cost $1400-1500 to fix, but it was only going to cost us about $800. They finally finished today (after 1 1/2 weeks) because they kept getting the wrong part in or not getting the part in at all. Anyways, it ended up only costing $715, which was a big relief for our checkbook!

I'm trying to find things around the house to put on eBay so that we can maybe get a little extra money from that. I wish that I could get some Pampered Chef shows booked, but I just don't know anyone around here to have a show yet. I actually have business cards now though, so maybe that will help. We went to Books-A-Million the other night and I stuck a few cards in the weddings section (since we do registries). Maybe someone will book one!

I can't believe that today is Friday. It doesn't feel like it at all...especially since Alan has to work tomorrow. I'm trying to not be too lonely, but I feel like I need to get out of the house. Unfortunately, getting out of the house and going anywhere requires me spending money...which we don't have any of (okay, we have a little, but it's already earmarked for bills). I miss Erika and Ashley. Even though we didn't hang out a lot during the week, I guess it was just comforting knowing that they were close by.

I guess I'm just really unsure about what to do. I have applied for SO MANY jobs and Home Depot is the only one I've even heard anything from. I know that me getting a job isn't going to instantly solve all our money problems (I'm thinking about that $2300 credit card bill we have and the $370 we owe on my tires), but at least we would be able to pay those bills down and maybe be able to put a little in savings.

I really wish I could get some shows booked. Even if they were small shows, 4 shows a month would bring in an extra $300 a month and would only take about 5 hours a piece of work. That's pretty good money if you asked me! The problem is just getting the shows booked.

Well, I think I've done enough complaining for now. I already have dinner in the oven so it should be finishing up right as Alan gets home from work...btw, he doesn't get off until 7 tonight.

I really love our new home even though there are numerous things that need to be fixed. I keep thinking "when we have more money, we can fix _______." And trust me, the options to put in that blank are quite a few. I want curtains for both bedrooms and the living room (sliding glass double doors). I would like to put some shelving in the laundry area (aside from the half-shelf that we now have which only has supports on one side so it leans if you put anything slightly heavy on that side). I would love to have a new washer and dryer so we could NOT have to have the washer 6 inches into the hallway so that it doesn't leak...and this is just the beginning of my list.

Well, I do need to get some things done around here before Alan gets home from work. I think I might try to wash the dishes that are piled up in both sinks. Maybe I'll be done by the time he gets home.