Now that we have been making the news official, I shall also post here that the Scholl family is expected to increase around April 1. For those who don't want to do the math, I'm currently at 9.5 weeks. Almost 25% of the way there!
While freelancing could very well be a job that disappears as suddenly as it appeared, we hope and pray that it stays around because it would make it very easy for me to be a stay-at-home but working mother next year. We are trusting in God's provision and timing as we await our future little blessing.
It's also been nice to have the current projects I'm working on rather than subbing just yet because well, I don't have morning sickness...I have afternoon sickness. Plus I now know just what is meant by "growing a baby is exhausting." So working it home makes it easier for me to still get stuff done while slowly eating a cracker at a time. I have to admit, I could have it much worse because I do get the occasional good day in there where I can get some food with more substance than crackers down for lunch and/or dinner. So God's perfect timing shows once again.
While I wait for water to boil to make my minestrone soup, I shall write the long promised post on God's Gracious and Abundant provision in the Scholl family life this last year.
A little over a year ago, I moved to Iowa and arrived making it into town less than 18 hours before the last route into Cedar Rapids was closed. The move is a story of God's provision in itself--Josh offered a job that actually uses and pays for his college degree, and just all the details working together and his choosing an apartment that would not be in the flooded section of town. Not to mention arriving somewhere where we already had many friends who were blessing in helping us unload our furniture and many boxes of books into a storage unit.
We arrived into town before I had yet received a job. I was still hopeful as it was only early summer and my paychecks would continue through August. I was offered the exciting position in educational publishing at the end of June and started in July. It wasn't teaching, but I soon discovered the perks of a non-teaching position and how I really thought I had found my own little niche in mathematics curriculum.
We were provided a house after our first offer fell through and the one in which we live went on the market just days before we were to tour another set of houses. Our wonderful friends helped us again in August as we moved in and life was promising through the fall months. We even committed ourselves to never charging to credit cards and pulling ourselves out of debt through the Dave Ramsey plan. And then came November. I was only slightly nervous about my job after some company-wide meetings the month before and with the promised "consultant" touring the business to offer suggestions. I hadn't been in the professional world long, but there was a touch of trouble on the horizon but our managing editor tried to assure our department that he doubted ours would be touched much.
The week before Thanksgiving I received the email to attend a meeting. I knew as soon as I opened it. I didn't expect it to be so immediate though. But I had a bit of peace because I knew God would provide for us and I still had my teaching certificate. I could sub if nothing else.
And so God provided the subbing and tutoring that carried us through winter and spring. I can count 7 school days where I did not sub out of the semester. More doors opened in April as I was able to take on a temporary scoring position at ACT, and one where I proved adept enough to be offered another position that would bring me into summer. Subbing wasn't going to be available in the summer, but scoring was. At the same time, the wonderful coworker who pointed me towards the tutoring job also provided my email to my former bosses-- who in May found out they too were losing their jobs as the Iowa base of the company was being shut down. Somewhere along in there they had gotten started with another education publishing company who had very similar projects based in Massachusetts. They started an Iowa based company and were looking for freelancers. Just as my last scoring position at ACT was ending in July with no apparent income until September and subbing--I was offered first a quick editing project and then an long-term write a workbook project that had a very nice pay attached to it. God had provided.
It worked out well that at the time I started freelancing, Josh started working later hours and therefore I could work more or less undistracted in the evenings and sleep until late morning as I work better later in the day. And ACT prep tutoring started again with the first time September test date in Iowa and would provide me biweekly income again in August while I finished my project. In fact, for the first time, I had to turn someone down because I could not fit any more people into my schedule (I have 9 different prep sessions in a given week, each session 2 hours)
While we've only just barely had enough to make ends meet this summer, we've been able to make all our necessary payments and eat and be sheltered. We broke down and had to charge twice to put gas in the car due to bad timing of bill-paying and checks depositing (read, our bad budgeting), but we have learned and God is definitely keeping us afloat.
And as my first major project has come to an end, I've been offered two extra projects that will keep be busy until mid-September. I'll be able to only part-time sub as I am able after this week and be able to be choosy about days and jobs I take on at first.
This is only the bare outline of God's provision in the major details of our lives. I rest my hope in Him, and while I will not rest my hope that this freelancing will be a definite career of working at home--I know God will provide as He wills for my life, for our life as a family.
God is so VERY VERY GOOD.
I just had to quickly post about the unique sermon at church today. We've been going through the book of James this summer with the various associate pastors while the senior pastor is on sabbatical for a double hip replacement.
Today's section was James 4:13-17: "Life is a Vapor"
During the sermon, there was an annoying ticking sound that gradually got louder. Of course, a short way in I figured out it had something to do with the sermon but it was still rather annoying and distracting--the clock in the sanctuary had been removed and it was asked of the congregation to put away watches and such.
Well, our children's ministry pastor went rather concisely through all his points and as the ticking sound came to a max volume he started the sentence with "I'll give you one last example..." the ticking stopped. He closed his Bible and walked off stage. Church was over. This was the final example of how our life is a vapor and we need to be careful to include God in all planning for the future. First time we've been out of church before 11:30, for that matter, I think before 11:45. We're usually done around noon.
I do plan on posting again in the future about God's provision in our lives this past year. (Lord-willing :-)) I was theoretically waiting for a more distinct image of my job situation...but more on that later. (No, no full-time permanent position for me as of yet. God's timing is the best timing)