Brianne here. I'm sorry that it has been so long since we have posted. A lot has happened in the Hanson household over the past 3 weeks. We'll start with Kaylee. She is doing well at daycare still. However, she has entered the "possession" stage of being a toddler which means that anything she touches somehow becomes hers...or so she thinks. Even though an item is not hers, if she played with it one time, one day, it has somehow become "Kaylee's" and no one else is allowed to play with it. We are doing our best to help her understand that there are only certain things that are Kaylee's and the rest she has to share. Other than a bit of boundary-pushing episodes she is still doing wonderfully. Last weekend we went to Boxx Berry Farms and Half Acre Farms in Ferndale. This was my first time on a farm, as well as Kaylee's. We had missed berry season, so we picked veggies instead. Kaylee had so much fun, especially with the carrots. It brought a tear to my eye when I saw her eat a freshly picked carrot out of the ground (Daddy washed it first). To see her eating something so fresh, clean, and healthy made me so happy. This is what we want for Kaylee. We want her to grow up eating healthy foods, playing outside, and enjoying life.
This weekend we met the Bergen family from Canada (Alan, Jenn, Abby, Eden, & Zach). I met Jenn online in one of our mommy groups. Zach is Kaylee's age, and the girls are a bit older. We all met for the first time at Boxx Berry Farms and had a wonderful time together! It was so awesome to meet a fellow mommy from our group, especially since it feels like we have already known each other forever. Last night, Kaylee went to bed talking to Zach for about 10 minutes in her room before falling asleep. This morning she asked about him again. I'm sure we will see more of the Bergen clan, hopefully soon :)
Jon has started his new job and my assignment with Escrow Legal Services has ended. I do not think I have ever felt so blessed and privileged. The kindness that was shown to me while working there is more than I ever could have asked for. I lost my composure when I left. I felt silly being so sad to leave a place I had only been with for a month, but it felt more like family. The manager was wonderful and I look up to her a lot. I look forward to the day when I can help them out again. God placed me in their laps when they needed someone to fill in, and when we needed a paycheck coming in. I will forever be grateful for the time I was allowed to stay and I wish them all the very best.
With that being said.....I find myself unemployed. I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't scared. In fact, my first reaction was to call my mom the minute I walked out the door. Oddly enough, I didn't get her on the phone. My next reaction was to call Jon but he was at work. There was no one else to call except my good friends in Texas who were probably just sitting down to feed their families dinner. In the small time of loneliness I sat waiting for my bus and had a moment to think. I knew this would happen, but for some reason I didn't believe it would. Let me explain...
Last week I had an interview with a criminal defense law firm. The job would have been typical legal secretary work, and decent pay. I did the very best I could at the interview and then left it up to God because I knew that He would put me in the best place I should be. The next day I received an email about a high-profile job at a local university. This job would pay almost double. Although Jon and I understand that money is not the most important thing, it is not wrong to want to be financially secure. I was placed on the interview list and now am scheduled for September 21st. This created a predicament. If I was offered the law firm job, I could not, with a clear conscience, still interview at the University. It would be dishonest of me, and I just would not feel okay doing it. This is where trust came in, hardcore. I literally prayed that God would find a way for the law firm job to pass me by. You read that right.....I prayed for God to NOT grant me this job because I saw a glimmer of hope for a better opportunity, one that I did not even seek out. I did not want to have to turn down another job opportunity (you'll remember the previous law firm one about a month ago), and so I asked that God would help me avoid even having to explain to someone why I was turning down their offer. So what happened you ask? No one called. I didn't have to explain it, and God answered my question loud and clear. I knew in my heart it would be the wrong decision to work at this law firm, but fear of the "unknown" almost stood in my way. The only way I got through last week with a clear conscience was by giving it to God and letting Him handle it. I sure didn't want to have to.
Back on track...so yes, I'm without a job right now. Is it scary? Yes. Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not. If I have learned anything through our journey so far, it is that God has bigger plans in store for the Hanson family than anything Jon or I could have dreamed of combined! Pastor Ken Hubbard always says (forgive me if I misquote it) "What you have is not all that you can have; Where you are is not where you have to stay; and Who you are is not all that God called you to be!" His sermon today was on the 8 Steps to Abundant Life. This message was both eye opening and life changing. Not only am I seeing what Pastor Ken talked about happening in our lives RIGHT NOW, I've now been reminded of the steps we need to take to continue on the correct path.
Genesis 22:1-14, 18
Genesis 12:1-2
John 10:10
Jeremiah 29:11
Galatians 5:17
1) Have the courage to submit to God's will.
-Step out on faith, no matter how bizarre it might seem.
2) Connect with the voice of God daily.
-Don't give God your leftovers. He should be your first priority.
3) Cut out the doubt.
-You have to fight for what you want.
4) Continually praise God.
-God will never give you more until you are thankful for what you have.
-As long as God is with us on the journey we WILL be alright!
5) Construct your own stage.
-You choose who and what you let into your life.
6) Consider the cost.
- If your sacrifice does not move you it probably does not move God.
7) Change your mind
-Be transitional instead of traditional
-If one door closes, do not give up!
9) Count on God.
Throughout the last 1 1/2 months, Jon and I have witnessed ups and downs, foreseen circumstances and unforeseen circumstances. We have also experienced fear and faith. Fear will cripple you if you let it, but faith takes all the weight off your shoulders so that it can be carried by Him who has the strength. We were not meant to carry these burdens, but you have to make a conscious choice DAILY to follow Christ and put Him first. Today represents a new chapter in my spiritual walk, and one that I know I will have to work no daily if I want to see all of the benefits God has for me and our family. I want to be successful, I want Kaylee to have a wonderful childhood and be a respectful young lady, I want to have a phenomenal marriage, I want to know that as a family we are reaching for the destiny God has for us. I also want to know that individually I am doing everything in my power to reach that destiny as well. I refuse to live this life without experiencing that destiny. Today is the day that the world stops becoming so important, and the One who created it becomes top priority. God gave me this life, this body, and this family. It's my job to take care of it while we're here.
