PUZZLE PIECES

Last week, out of the blue, Stevens-Heneger college called Fred and asked him if he would be interested in interviewing for a job as the director of their R.T. department. I guess they have just finished building here by the temple and have started hiring and, for reasons unbeknownst to us, his name was floating around among the staff. He went in for the first round of interviews on Friday. They want someone with a Masters Degree, but they are still interested in him, if he would agree to getting his Masters while he's there. He still has to go through two more rounds of interviews and we know they are interviewing other people, and that they will possibly open up the position all across the country next week. Fred is still struggling with the idea of it all. It's scary to think about this kind of a change in an economic environment where everything is so shaky. The job is very administrative and would include teaching positions and the whole enormity of the responsibility is a little overwhelming and intimidating to Fred, who is ever so humble about his abilities. He's at the top of "the ladder" at the hospital, so his job is as stable as stable can be right now, but because he's at the top there is nowhere to go either and we are feeling the tight pinch to make ends meet, like everybody else. Before Fred's dad moved in with us, Fred was working 16 hour shifts so he could get overtime and pay the bills. Then Fred's dad came and almost immediately the hospital stopped allowing those kind of overtime hours, but Fred's dad wanted to pay his way and his gifts were almost exactly what Fred had been making working overtime. A coincidence? I don't believe in those. Now Fred's dad has moved on and we are not only trying to keep things together again, but with a new debt from the funeral. Ours is the same story as thousands of other people right now in this country, many of them our friends and family. We have been praying for answers but not in this direction, however, the puzzle pieces just keep falling. We don't know if this is the path we are supposed to take, but having more "normal" time together as a family has been in my prayers and providing has been in Fred's, so he is pursuing it until he gets cut out of the interview process or he is offered a job and then we'll decide (or it will be decided for us) what path to take. We sure would appreciate your prayers in our behalf right now, though I know you all have a hundred worries and concerns of your own. Whatever happens, we know the Lord's hands are in it and he will guide us. It's just listening and hearing that seems to be hard sometimes.

As Fred always says, "Zero Deffects!" and "We're living the dream!" Just look around us and see how much we are blessed. I'm sure Mom and Dad can attest to that a hundred fold from their vantage point. I am absolutely positive that in our married life, Fred and I don't know the smallest thing about physical humility. I was sure of that as I finished reading Mom's life story last week, and as Dad and Mom share some of their experiences in the mission field, I am certain that I am a very privileged child. I have to be oh so careful, that because of that, I don't become a spoiled child.

Lori and I had a big round rattan chair in our apartment at college. We dubbed it "the whining chair", and there was a rule among all of us, that you could not complain about anything unless you were seated there. I need to remember, that If I'm ever sitting there, I'm surely being idle and idleness happens to annoy me. I'm sure it does Him as well.