Dear Lord: I need to get out

Today was spent inside.

All of it.

A downside of being unemployed is that you have no reason to leave the house, and no money with which to go out. So to conserve money, you stay inside.

I was hoping to get a phone call from the people I interviewed with. I didn't get one. I'm concerned. My mother is pressuring me, even though she doesn't mean to, and it's messing with my head.

Praise God, because He's strong enough to deal with this for me.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'" Lamentations 3:23-24

Dear Lord: This looks promising

I had my second interview with the same company today.

The interview lasted two hours. It was at a group home. I didn't get to meet the residents, but I did get to see the home, and talk to the supervisor. I think it went really well, all in all!

I know God was with me, and I'm sure He'll see me through this.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. I need to get out of the house soon. I'm going to start getting claustrophobic. Unfortunately, due to an incident late last week, I'm no longer completely confident in the safety of my neighborhood. But I can't stay inside all week, either.

"Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?" Job 26:6-14

Dear Lord: I stand in awe of You

God truly has a plan for us all.

I got some encouragement today. A friend's husband has been searching for a job as well. He's having similar issues with unemployment compensation. In his case, he had the compensation granted, but the company appealed and he lost it. Unfortunately, just like I can make an appeal on my unemployment, the company that gets rid of employees can as well. It's fair, but frustrating.

This man, like me, has been praying hard about it. He and my friend (Mr. and Mrs. HT, from now on) have two small children, and they are taking care of his mother as well. Mrs. HT has a disability that keeps her from working most jobs, which means she can't get a job to help supplement right now. Instead, she stays home, homeschooling the children, taking care of the house, and caring for her mother-in-law.

Today, she called me. Praise God! Mr. HT has gotten a job! This is a huge encouragement to me, because he got a job in the same company I applied and interviewed at. I'm interviewing at a different location, but I'm praying that it works out for me.

God also used my small group tonight to remind me that my problems are not the only thing to focus on. One of the men in my group, F, has been diagnosed with a serious illness, as has his daughter. We prayed around him tonight, placing hands on him. It was a very serious, very emotional moment, and I'm happy that we did it. I have faith that the Lord will do what is best in this situation.

There are so many things to be thankful for, even in this time of need. My grandmother's recovery. A church that supports me and friends that care for me. A college that supports the degrees I want. Jobs that are coming to those around me. Good health. Food on my table and a roof over my head. A pastor that truly cares about me and the rest of his congregation. And, above all, a God that will never leave me, nor forsake me. It's when I'm at my lowest that I know He's the closest. Amen, Lord. Amen.

"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:23-24

Dear Lord: Praise be!

I got a callback today.

I have a second interview on Wednesday for the place I interviewed at last week! I'm hopeful. The Lord will do what is best for me, of that I am sure.

The Lord used my grandmother to remind me of the day I was baptized. It was a brutal, rather painful reminder of how faithful I used to be, compared to now. It was nice, in a way. I have some memories that have subtly shifted, until I was no longer sure as to why I had been so insistent on getting baptized when I did. But my grandmother had written a letter, which she had saved, and reading it to me, I remembered what I had believed and why. It helped me to be able to shift through the falsehoods and lies, until I had the truth.

The mind is a tricky thing, and I think Satan, though unable to read our minds, still knows what to put in front of us to cause us to doubt ourselves. I had fallen into that trap. It was nice to know that I wasn't correct.

But it's hard, when you realize that you were so very very firm at one point, and now it seems like all you do is question yourself.

Praise God, that I can't do anything on my own. Because this way, I know I need Him, and I know He'll be there for me.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21

Dear Lord: He is Risen!

In the hustle and bustle of our days, it's hard to remember sometimes what it's really all about.

I went to visit my family for Easter. My family and I do not always get along, and I was prepared for some things that my mother had warned me she wanted to talk about.

Thankfully, the conversation was avoided, though I did make the offer. It's time my mother let me grow up, and that's something I'm going to have to make an effort to make sure she knows.

But praise God, that He sent His Son. My family and I had a wonderful time celebrating Easter together. I also was able to speak with my grandmother, and she gave me a lot of encouragement I wasn't expecting from her. It's just another reminder that God is very busily taking care of me, and it's more of an encouragement than anything else could be.

Praise God! He is Risen! And because He lives, I live!

"For God so love the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:5-6

"'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.'" Mark 16:6

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." Matthew 28:5-6

"These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: 'Not one of his bones will be broken,' and, as another scripture says, 'They will look on the one they have pierced.'" Luke 19:36-37