ALOHA! All things work together for good...14

[Committed2Him]

I closed my own thread with this yesterday:

Aloha!!!!!!

So exhausted but in a good kind of way

We got in late Sunday evening and Monday was a jam packed day of errands. So many amazing things happened and I will try to share tomorrow night.

One amazing thing that did NOT happen was that I realized the Church Friend is not the woman for me. We are and will be friends but she is not for me. Previously, she was the one that said she thought we should "remain friends" and so that was cool with me. But later, as we prepared for this trip, I wondered if by serving together, either or both of us would start to see the other as a "mate." This time, it did not happen from my end and I am VERY much at peace with it.

I start a new job in about 7 hours and I won't be able to post during the day for a while but I know this job was given to me by God in His perfect timing. This is another story in and of itself.

So, more to come later including C2H on stage, the rain, lessons, the power of prayer, the "kids" etc.

Mahalo (thank you)

I could literally write a mega post that would not end, detailing All the things that happened on this trip, all the things that show me just how awesome is the God I serve. I dropped from exhaustion this evening after playing several hours of basketball and awoke to a message playing on the radio about some of the directives God gives us:

Pray, Wait, Be still and know that I am God, Trust, Get up and Go!

I have experienced God showing/telling me all of these things on this past trip as well as during the period after my X left me through the present.

Truly, my life verse from the Bible has been true in my life:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

On 5/19, the day of X and Mr. X's first wedding anniversary, I had just arrived from a Hawaiian missions trip and was prepping to start a new job God hand delivered to me. X is going away this weekend to celebrate and I am going to have my kids and have my own celebration. I realized it was their anniversary but the thought pricked me a little but then I moved on, too busy living my life to dwell on it.

Oh, by the way, while I was on this trip, I believe God began opening the door for me to go on another missions trip in 6 months to...Spain! I will have almost enough vacation time but a number of other things will have to fall into place (we shall see if God is sending me there).

The Job
Of all the praise worthy things that happened in connection with the Hawaiian trip, one of the most amazing ones was that God hand delivered me a job. I have been working from home by choice since X left but have not made anywhere enough to support myself. I have used other resources, including retirement funds to be available to my kids, to be the "team dad," the school field trip taxi, to go to Washington D.C., deliver my son lunches including pizz he could share and to go to every one of my kids games that I could. (Of course, my X would periodically remind me that I was a "neglectful, selfish father." )

Well, the funds were rapidly drying up and I was hesitant to leave my life style to take a traditional job greatly limiting the access I had to my kids. Additional challenges I faced were the (traditional) employment gap (in the eyes of many employers) I would have to explain plus I am no longer a spring chicken in a VERY challenging job market. (I strongyly anticipated having to take a pay cut).

So, what does God do? He has an associate from the last industry I worked in give me a call, our second conversation in two years, to ask me if I might be interested in an opportunity he had. He wanted me to interview the next day but I had wedding reception preparation commitments. I interviewed the following Monday 5/5, prayed and fasted about the opportunity, agreed to a second panel interview 5/8. Later that day, while watching my son play soccer, I got a call confirming the job offer. On 5/9 I left to Hawaii and on 5/20 I started my new job.

I will be making more than I made on my last job, am working for a small company with very little turnover with a team that works very well together. I report to a man I have known and respected for about 7 years and who has reiterated that the environment is flexible which I know will come in handy down the road.

Could I have picked a better title for my threads than Romans 8:28? Indeed, All Things (during this divorce process) have worked together for (God's) good for those (me) who love God, to those (me) who are called according to His purpose.

I need to go now, I have to get some more sleep for I have to go to my second day of work on my new job.
Thank you, Lord!

(The Hawaiian details will have to come later INCLUDING info on my breakfast with the newlweds the morning of my trip!)