Not all bad.

Well, alot of interesting things have been happening in my life recently. Most notably was the loss of my job and having to find someplace else to work rather suddenly. So, I've been at my new job at Target for about a month now, and it's not actually that bad. Sure, I don't make near the amount of money I used to, but the bills are still getiing paid, so it's all good. Ienjoy the people I work with, and the job is actually fun. Is that what happens over time? The more you make in a job, the less fun it is?  Several people (friends and family alike) have commented on how much happier I seem since I've switched jobs. I guess Iv'e noticed it too.  I have more time to spend with my kids since I'm home in the afternoons to pick them up from school and I really enjoy having "play" time with them instead of the usual eat dinner go to bed routine that my other job afforded me. What does the future hold? I don't know, but i've got a few ideas and it definately helped open my eyes to some new possibilities now that I'm not locked into any particular job just for the money.

Sometimes, the most profound lessons can be learned from kids. The other evening as we sat down for dinner, my 6 year old wanted to say the blessing. It went something along the lines of, "...thank you God for my Mom, Dad and little brother. Thanks for the food, thank you for the XBOX and Lego Star Wars and thanks for all our needs. Amen". I know that he meant to say "thanks for meeting all of our needs", but it got me thinking. Am I thankful for my needs? If I didn't need anything then I wouldn't have  to rely on God for providing for me. If life was always a field of daisys, then would I ever be thankful for what I had? Do the tough times in life make me thankful for God's grace and provision, or do they make me resentful?

The book of James tells us, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." At first glance this advice seems ridiculous, be happy when things go bad? But in the long run, that's what we need to do because it is a chance for us to rely on God to provide for us, and it;s a chance for us to becoem mature and complete. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be immature and incomplete.

Thanks God, for all my needs.