CHANGES

Today was my last day working in the job I have held for the last 10 years.  It is somewhat bittersweet, to say the least.  As far back as mid January I had an inkling it was coming. So for about 6 months, until it became official, I decided to pray about how to proceed.  Not sure how things will turn out, but I was provided with a couple of areas to focus on

1. get a good budget worked out
2. pay off my bills
3. savings increase

1. Budget/spending: I am still working out a budget and a record of what I am spending. It has been an interesting process, because I started well, and am now faced with it being Aug 25th and I haven't finished tabulating the July expenses and income.....I could blame this on summertime heat and laziness....which is partially true, but also the motivation to keep going has been decreasing quite a bit....time to kick start things again!

2. Pay off bills: I need to decrease my use of our credit cards and just spend cash....an area of work, but we don't have any bills that carry over from one month to the next, and this is an area of improvement.  Praying about what not to spend money on has been constant, as I tend to utilize retail therapy when I am struggling with stuff.....I would love to go out and buy books, but am now using the library system much more often.  This change over has been slowly happening over the past two years, and I think I am getting better.

3. Savings increase:  I wish I could say I am doing an amazing job of this, but things are slowly getting better....as I strengthen #2, this focus is improving.  Still a lot to learn, but God is guiding me thru this process not too quickly, because when I have run ahead too fast, the lessons don't take!

I have decided to try and journal the process of job hunting and figuring out where God needs my focus to be.  It is a little scary, but I am recognizing that this fear is not from Him...that it is identifying that I am learning to bring the process under His guidance, and not to rush out in desperation to find something soon.

Hmmmm, an interesting process and I look forward to seeing what will occur in the next few weeks and months.