Sweet Tender Mercies

Oh what a week! This week put a strain on John and I! It seemed like one of those weeks, where there was just one thing after another going wrong. It started with. . . .brace yourself. . . . a faulty pregnancy test. As a neurotic nursing Mom, I took a test just to check on things the 14th. To my surprise and shock I saw two pink lines! The second line was a little strange, but after talking to the company representatives and the trusty ladies at Babycenter.com, I concluded that I was indeed pregnant. Oh my. After the shock I of course started planning things in my mind, rearranging my life for the next year, and yes, even getting excited. I was both disappointed and relieved when I took tests over the next few days that were all as negative as could be. As you can imagine, this was an emotional roller coaster.

Then on Tuesday John and I had routine dental cleanings and I found out I need major work done, meaning $$$$. Nobody likes being told they should spend their hard earned and budgeted money for stupid dental work. Bah!

Wednesday I received a message from a homeschool friend I have seen frequently over the past 18 months or so. Our kids were quite good friends and she is facing a sudden move out of state. I am so happy things are working well for her, but just devastated at the loss! Bummer again.

Thursday night I got an email from BYU-I after waiting anxiously all week to hear from them. I put many hours into their online evaluation course and was hoping to be hired. However, they are not hiring for next semester. More bad news!

On top of that, we've been dealing with some normal work stress and the stress of major health problems for John's father. Oh my.

But, on the good side of things:

I got an offer to teach 2 classes at CSM next semester! I'm meeting to do paperwork this week and can't wait! It's an introductory philosophy course and should be a lot of fun.

BYU-Idaho did state that I seem well qualified, and they will likely be contacting me when they ARE hiring for the courses I applied for. Maybe next Fall?

And the sweetest thing happened today. I melted down last night, the week's stresses combined, and I just broke down. This morning I was still grumpy and upset- didn't want to go to church or deal with people at all. While sitting in the foyer (hey, at least we were there), I noticed Sophia's brand new birthday dress is already getting short. And Lori had a hole in her tights. "Great", I thought, "One more expense is just what I need right now." Just 20-30 minutes later I ran into my dear friend who mentioned that she had bags of girls clothing in her car a friend had passed to her, and she wanted to give them to me. We got home, and the girls are now stocked with dresses and clothing, and yes, even some tights, for the next year! What a literal answer to prayers. It may have been just a coincidence, but I am choosing to see it as a loving Heavenly Father's answer to a simple unspoken prayer. "Yes, I see you, and everything will be all right." Amen.